robbers cave study GRAVE

Question 1

GENERALISABILITY

Answer 1

• study involved 22 boys ages 11-12, all from similar backgrounds (middle class, protestant). This homogeneity reduces individual differences, allowing for clearer conclusions about group conflict and cooperation.
• provides valuable insights into inter group dynamics among young boys, a relevant age group for studying the development of social behaviours.

CA

• study is androcentric (male-only), so the findings may not apply to girls or mixed gender groups.
• study is ethnocentric as all participants were from the USA and shared the same cultural background. Intergroup conflict and cooperation might differ in other cultural settings.
• There was a small sample size of only 22 boys, which is not representative of wider populations.

Question 2

RELIABILITY

Answer 2

• study followed a structured three-stage process (in-group formation, group conflict, conflict resolution) ensuring consistency.

-Sherif’s methods (eg. competitions and superordinate goals) were replicable, allowing for similar studies to be conducted.

• He used a numbered scoring system for the boys’ friendship patterns, which collected quantitative data.

CA

• field experiment in a naturalistic setting, so harder to control extraneous variables (eg. Individual personality differences) which could affect reliability.
• The observers were only with the boys for 12 hours a day and could not see or overhear everything that went on but used multiple observers on occasions, creating inter-rater reliability.

Question 3

APPLICATION

Answer 3

• Demonstrates how superordinate goals can reduce intergroup hostility which is useful in schools, workplaces, and community projects.
• Explains real-world intergroup conflicts, such as discrimination or group rivalries, and offers solutions to promote harmony.
• Used in designing conflict resolution programmes, such as in divides communities or international relations.

CA

• The controlled setup of the camp may not capture the complexities of real-world conflicts, which often involve long-standing historical, political, or economic factors.
• The study focuses on competition and cooperation, but prejudice may also arise from factors like stereotyping which is not addressed here.

Question 4

VALIDITY

Answer 4

• study has ecological validity as it took part in a realistic setting (a summer camp) making the boys behaviour more natural and reflective of real-life intergroup interactions.
• The boys were unaware they were being studied, minimising demand characteristics and increasing the study’s validity.
• The study has internal validity as the researchers carefully manipulated variables (eg. Introducing superordinate goals), allowing them to observe the cause-and-effect relationship between competitions and hostility.

CA

• There is low population validity due to the limited and homogeneous sample, the findings cannot be generalised to all groups, which means it has low population validity.
• Sherif was deeply involved in the study and may have influenced the boys’ behaviour to fit his hypothesis (eg. provoking intergroup conflict) creating researcher bias.

Question 5

EAST

Answer 5

Deception: The boys were unaware they were part of a study, believing it was just a summer camp

Lack of informed consent: The boys and their parents were not fully informed about the study’s true aims or methods.

Psychological Harm: The study deliberately created hostility and conflict between the groups which could’ve caused distress.

Right to withdraw: The boys were unaware they were being studied, so were not informed of their right to leave the study.