Robbers Cave 1954/61 Flashcards
Aim
Investigate relations between groups, specifically to see whether strangers brought together into a group with common goals will from a close group and to see whether the two groups brought into contact and competition will become hostile to each other
Sample
22 12 year old boys
White American
Middle class
Protestants
Procedure
Transported to robbers cave national park in Oklahoma
1. Ingroup formation - boys given takes for 5 days to do, helped bind. Given names eagles and rattlers to strengthen image
2. Ingroup relations - friction between groups encouraged by competition for attractive prizes e.g. penknives
3 Intergroup relations - to reduce tension, watched films, joint problem solving activities, fix water pipe blockage, free truck stuck in mud
Results
1 strong ingroup vs outgroup created even though they hadn’t met
2 competition led to immediate hostility - eagles refused to eat with rattlers, shouted insults to each other, raided each others huts, burned their flags
3 joint activities didn’t solve conflict but joint problem solving tasks did. Shared a bus home
Conclusion
Some hostility as soon as they were aware of each other but with challenges it became much more intense
Competition is a factor leading to discrimination but so,e takes place w out it
When groups work together this can be reduced
Generalisability
Small sample
Ethnocentric
Culture bias
Androcentric
Very specific sample cannot be generalised to wider population
Any anomaly (bullies) could easily affect however sherif worked hard to remove these by doing background checks
Reliability
Observers only w boys 12 hours a day so didn’t know everything that went on
Observations were subjective
However gathered QT data by using number systems to score boys friendships patterns, also have multiple observers giving inter rater reliability
Recorded some conversations so these could be replayed
Certain areas could be repeated
Not replicable as they had to intervene in a fight after a baseball match was requested
Application
Competitions frustrate and cause hostility to out groups which suggest a discriminator could be reduced in society if jobs, education etc were shared more fairly between different ethic groups/ classes
Shows hostility is reduced if groups have a common goal, shows we need to work along side each other and people like immigarants should be integrated and allowed to work together in society
Validity
Used several research methods (QT and QL data, tape recordings, observing)
Ecological validity as was a real summer camp and rel activities
Unrealistic factors as camp counsellor didn’t intervene with disputes until boys were ready to fight
No control group as no normal summer camp to compare to
May have ended up as friends anyway after spending 3 weeks together
Gina Perry (2014) observers had bigger influence than Sherif thought as the boys named themselves rattlers after senior counsellor shot two snakes and were impressed
Ethics
Boys couldn’t give informed consent
Boys were given right to withdraw ( two went home in the first week)
Deceived boys telling them the truck and pipe didn’t work
