SIT Study: Tajfel

Question 1

What was the aim of this study?

Answer 1

To investigate how people develop ‘in-group’ and ‘out-group’ behaviours

Question 2

What was the procedure of this study?

Answer 2

• 48 boys (14-15yr)
• Had to rate 12 paintings
• Not told which painter had painted which
• Randomly allocated to groups
• Then told to say whether they preferred Klee or Kandinsky
• Each boy had to award points to two other boys (one from same group, and one from another group
• The boys could either give maximum joint profit (giving the largest reward to members of both groups)
• The boys could give maximum in-group profit (giving the largest reward to a member of the in-group’)
• Or they could give maximum differences (giving the largest possible difference in reward between a member of the ‘in group’ and a member of the ‘out-group’)

Question 3

What were the findings of this study?

Answer 3

• Maximum joint profit had very little effect on the boys
• When the boys had a choice to either maximise the profit for all or maximise the profit for just those in their group

Question 4

What is the conclusion from this study?

Answer 4

• Our group discrimination is very easy to trigger, once it has been triggered we have norms of behaviour that include discriminating against the out-group
• There is a natural tendency for members of a group to favour their in-group