7 - Social Categorisation

Question 1

Sherif et al., study on group formation

Robbers Cave

Answer 1

Phase 1 (group formation):

• two groups brought to a camp on different days
• groups labelled themselves
• lots of ingroup activities, minimal outgroup contact
• different base locations

Phase 2 (friction phase) [aim to create conflict]:
- 5 day tournament with zero-sum reward (one group receives penknives)
Findings:
- day 1: good sportsmanship
- day 2: name-calling, outgroup aggression and retaliation
> them vs us
> derogation of outgroup (treat with little worth)
> ethnocentrism formed (preference for members of one’s own group over members of another group)

Phase 3 (conflict reduction):
- will increased contact between groups help
- will there be greater reduction in conflict if they pursue common goals
> problems requiring joint effort of both groups
Findings:
- increased contact alone is insufficient, may even worsen the ethnocentrism
- after collaboratively achieving goals:
> generosity improved
> friendships grew
> less negative ratings of outgroup members

Question 2

Realistic Conflict Theory

Answer 2

• Intergroup conflicts arise from a real conflict of group interests
• pursuit of scarce, zero-sum resources causes competition
• intergroup competition causes:
  > frustration
  > intragroup solidarity
  > outgroup derogation
• the pursuit of interdependent goals builds cooperation and relationships

Question 3

The Contact Hypothesis (Allport, 1954)

Answer 3

• contact between competing groups can reduce prejudice
  Optimal Conditions for prejudice reduction:
• groups of equal status
• common goals
• intergroup cooperations
• support from authorities

Question 4

Tajfel et al. (197g1) on resource allocation

Answer 4

• found that people allocate more resources to their group
• also that people favour conditions where the ingroup receives more resources relative to the outgroup (even if the alternative is that they receive more total resources)

Question 5

Social Identity Theory (Tajfel & Turner, 1979)

Answer 5

People have a fundamental desire to be socially connected to other people

• group membership provides self-esteem
• we feel best when our group is in a better position than other groups (occurs via securing more resources)
• when identifying with a group, we create a ‘prototype’ image of a person in that group
• this prototype influences the ways in which we behave, feel and think

Question 6

Terror Management Theory

Answer 6

• awareness of our inevitable death causes terror
• self-esteem protects against anxiety
• death threatens self-esteem thus provoking anxiety
• by subscribing to a cultural ‘worldview’ we protect our self-esteem from mortality-related anxiety
• specific groups provide specific worldviews, will this result in conflict?

Question 7

Integrating Social Identity Theory and Terror Management Theory

Answer 7

• people join groups because group identities boost self-esteem
• via providing them with a worldview, which by accepting, staves off the anxiety caused by consideration of mortality