Prejudice: Classic Study (Sherif 1954) Flashcards
What was the aim of Sherif’s study?
- To investigate how in-group behaviour developed to include related out-group hostility using competition
- To investigate how this friction can be reduced
Who were used in the sample?
- 22 boys
- 11 years old
- from Oklahoma, America
What participant design was used?
Matched pairs on IQ and sporting ability.
What type of method was used?
- Field experiment with repeated measures
- Questionnaires
- Observations
What were the 3 stages of the experiment?
1) In-group formation
2) Friction phase
3) Integration phase
Briefly describe the procedure of the study.
- A field study of 2 groups of 11 year old boys from America, matched on IQ + sporting abilities
- None were aware of each other’s existence, and were randomly assigned to 2 groups of 11
- Data was collected through observation, sociometric analysis, and tape recording
- The experiment was broken into 3 phases:
1) In-group formation = establishing culture and group norms and names (The Eagles and The Rattlers)
2) Friction phase = the first contact between the groups in sports competitions (such as baseball and tug of war)
3) Integration phase = reducing friction by increasing contact (such as eating together) and by solving problems that require teamwork (such as the water shortage problem)to reach superordinate goals - All parents were asked to stay away as not to make the boys homesick
What was the IV and DV?
IV = Stage of the experiment DV = Intergroup behaviour and level of competition measured by observation
What were the results of phase 1 of Sherif’s study?
1) In-group formation
- group stereotypes emerged with verbal hostility to out-groups (e.g. sissies)
What were the results of phase 2 of Sherif’s study?
2) Friction phase
- Boys characterised in-groups with favourable terms and vice versa
- Prejudice went from verbal to physical (fighting)
- (R) 6.4% (E) 7.5% = out-group friendships
What were the results of phase 3 of Sherif’s study?
3) Integration phase
- Contact between groups had little success
- One which required cooperation caused hostility to subside
- (R) 36.4% (E) 23.2% = out-group friendships
What were the conclusions of his study?
- Conflict of interest and competition for lack of resources cause prejudice
- Increased contact doesn’t help
- Working towards a superordinate goals helps
- People overestimate the abilities of their group
- People underestimate the abilities of out-groups
Evaluate the generalisability using a low point.
P - Low
E - 12 year old, white, middle class boys from USA
E - Can’t generalise to other ages, genders, etc.
Evaluate the reliability using a high and low point.
P - High
E - Follows a standardised procedure with three phases and specific activities
E - Easy to replicate
P - Low
E - Field study where cannot control EVs like the weather
E - Can’t accurately replicate the conditions
Are there any applications?
P - Yes
E - Offers an explanation for origin of prejudice (competition)
E - Offers ways to reduce it (superordinate goals)
Evaluate the high validity using 2 high points.
P - High
E - Unaware of being in a study
E - No chance of demand characteristics
P - High ecological
E - Field environment of a boy scouts group
E - Mundane realism causes natural behaviour
