Intergroup Behaviour & Conflict Flashcards
What is intergroup behaviour?
Any perception, cognition, or behaviour that is influenced by people’s recognition that they and others are members of distinct social groups.
What is intergroup phenomena?
When people assume the identity of the crowd.
What is the social identity approach?
People in crowds don’t lose their identity, but shift to a shared social identity.
- ‘We’ instead of ‘I’.
What is Social Identity Theory?
How one identifies with a social group (their social identity) impacts attitudes and behaviour.
- Here, changes are made to fit the group identity.
What are the stages of Social Identity Theory?
- Categorisation - Put others and ourselves into categories.
- Identification - Adopt the identity of the group they have categorised themselves into.
- Comparison - Compare their group with other groups. This can lead to biases.
What drives intergroup behaviour?
- A sense of deprivation.
- Ethnocentrism.
- Self-categorisation.
- Prototypes and cognitive representations.
- The strive for positive distinctiveness.
- Uncertainty.
- Deindividuation.
What is a sense of relative deprivation in relation to intergroup behaviour?
The feeling that your group is unfairly disadvantaged compared to another group.
What is ethnocentrism in relation to intergroup behaviour?
The tendency to view your group as superior and to judge other groups by the standards and values of your group.
- Results in favouritism to your group and prejudice to out-groups.
What is self-categorisation in relation to intergroup behaviour?
The process of naturally categorising youself and others into groups to make sense of our social environment.
- You begin to see yourself as sharing the groups characteristics, values and behaviours.
What are prototypes and cognitive representations in relation to intergroup behaviour?
A prototype is a mental image or cognitive representation of what the typical group member is like - including traits, behaviour and attitude.
What is the strive for positive distinctiveness in relation to intergroup behaviour?
- Groups compete to be different from one another in favourable ways.
- People want to belong to groups that are different to others and better in some way to boost their self-esteem.
What is uncertainty in relation to intergroup behaviour?
Uncertainty can drive people to identify more strongly with social groups.
- Groups provide clear guidelines for behaviour, values and norms, which reduces uncertainty about how to act or who you are.
What is deindividuation in relation to intergroup behaviour?
A loss of individual identity and reduced concern for social evaluation.
What is the Social Identity Theory (Tajfel & Turner, 1979)?
People strive to maintain or achieve a positive social identity by comparing their group to relevant out-groups.
- Positive distinctiveness drives intergroup behaviour and boosts group members self esteem.
What is the Optiimal Distinctiveness Theory (Brewer, 1991)?
People are motivated by two competing needs:
- The need to belong - inclusion.
- The need to be distinct - differentiation.
What is group-based guilt and positive distinctiveness (Branscombe et al., 1999)?
When in-group behaviour threatens positive distinctiveness, group members either:
- Deny or downplay the harm (defensive strategies).
- Embrace positive change (acknowledge past wrongs to rebuild positive distinctiveness in a moral way).
What is intergroup differentiation (Hornsey & Hogg, 2000)?
How groups respons when they feel too similar to other groups.
- When similarity increases, groups emphasise their distinctiveness even more strongly.
- This is often done through stereotyping the out-group or exaggerating their own virtues.
Describe Zimbardo’s (1969) study.
Condition 1:
- Deindividuated group.
- Wore large lab coats and hoods that covered their faces.
- Never introduced by name, remained anonymous.
Condition 2:
- Individuated group.
- Wore normal clothing.
- Provided with name tags and were individually introduced.
All participants were asked to deliver electric shocks to another participant (a confederate).
Deindividuated participants gave more frequent and more intensive shocks compared to the individuated participants.
What did Reicher’s (1987) found?
(Observational research during a riot in Bristol)
- Deindividuation does not automatically lead to mindless aggression.
- When people lose their personal identity, they often adopt shared social identity, and their behaviour reflect norms and goals of the gorup they identify with.
- Identity shifts from ‘I’ to ‘we’.
What does the Social Identity model of Deindividuation Effects (SIDE Model) argue?
It is not just anonymity that shapes crowd behaviour, but also group identity.
What are some possible methodological criticisms in intergroup behaviour research?
- Real-life research lacks control and the ability to consider certain complexities.
- Lab research is deemed artificial and lacking in ecological validity.
- Real life ethical issues.
What is intergroup conflict?
Intergroup conflcit is the perceived incompatibility of goals or values between two or more individuals.
This emerges because these individuals classify themselves as members of different social groups.
What are the types of conflict?
- Realistic conflict theory.
- Social identity theory.
- Relative deprivation theory.
- Evolutionary perspectives.
Describe the aim of robbers cave experiment (Sherif, 1954).
Aimed to investigate how intergroup conflict arises and can be reduced, testing Realistic Conflict Theory.
The study involved 22 boys (aged 11-12) at a summer camp, all from similar backgrounds to minimize individual differences.
Describe stage 1 of robbers cave experiment (Sherif, 1954).
Group formation
- Boys split into two groups (Eagles and Rattlers).
- They were unaware of the other group at first.
- Boys bonded within their own groups through cooperative activities.
- This developed group identities (names, flags, leaders).
Describe stage 2 of robbers cave experiment (Sherif, 1954).
Intergroup conflict
- The groups were introduced to each other and placed in competitive activities with prizes (e.g., tug-of-war).
- This led to escalating hostility, showing how competition over limited resources creates conflict.
Describe stage 3 of robbers cave experiment (Sherif, 1954).
Conflict reduction
- Superordinate goals (tasks requiring cooperation between groups) were introduced, reducing hostility and fostering friendships.
What were the findings from the robbers cave experiment (Sherif, 1954)?
- Competition over scarce resources leads to intergroup hostility.
- Cooperation through shared goals reduces prejudice and improves relations between groups.
Describe the aim of the minimal group paradigm (Tajfel et al., 1971).
Aimed to explore whether being placed into a group, without any prior history or competition, could lead to in-group bias and out-group discrimination.
Describe the results of the minimal group paradigm (Tajfel et al., 1971).
Participants displayed in-group favouritism, often making decisions that increased the difference between their group and the out-group, even when there was no actual rivalry.
Describe the conclusions of the minimal group paradigm (Tajfel et al., 1971).
- Group categorisation alone can create bias and the desire for in-group success, even at the cost of personal rewards.
- This study laid the groundwork for Social Identity Theory, which suggests that self-esteem is tied to group identity, prompting individuals to favour their own groups.
Describe the real world implications from the minimal group paradigm (Tajfel et al., 1971).
The findings help explain intergroup bias, prejudice, and discrimination, showing that these can arise simply from categorisation, not necessarily from deep-rooted conflict.
Describe the prisoner’s dilemma study (Luce & Raiffa, 1976).
Two suspects are questioned separately by detectives with limited evidence.
Each suspect is given the choice to confess or remain silent:
- If one confesses while the other stays silent, the confessor gets immunity, and the silent suspect receives a 1-year sentence.
- If both confess, both get a 3-month sentence.
- If neither confesses, they receive a light sentence.
Hundreds of studies replicate the findings of mutual confession, despite it being the worst outcome for both.
What are the two types of relative deprivation according to Runciman (1966)? (Intergroup conflict - Terrorism)
Egoistic relative deprivation:
- When an individual feels personally deprived compared to others.
Rationalistic relative deprivation:
- When a group feels deprived compared to another group.
What is intergroup conflict in relation to discrimination?
- Unfair or prejudicial treatments of people and groups based on characteristics.
- These are often automatic and linked to schemas and stereotypes.
