SOCIAL Sherif et al's study

Question 1

what was the aim of the study

Answer 1

• to trace the formation and functioning of negative and positive attitudes towards other group members

Question 2

what was the sample

Answer 2

• 22 eleven-year old boys
• no school/social failures
• taken to a summer camp in Robbers Cave Park in Oklahoma

Question 3

describe the procedure

Answer 3

• randomly allocated into two groups - independent groups design
• boys didn’t know each other
• there were 3 stages to the study : in-group formation, friction phase and integration phase

Question 4

describe the in-group formation phase

Answer 4

• first week of the study
• did not know the existence of the other group
• spent time bonding while hiking/ swimming
• each group chose group names - the eagles and the rattlers
• data collected included rating of emerging friendships and sociometric techniques
• status positions and roles were studied
• two boys from the same group left due to homesick

Question 5

describe the friction phase

Answer 5

• groups found out about the other group - groups became hostile
• wanted to play each other at baseball - created their own tournaments
• researchers created a series of competitive games to produce cumulative scores with rewards
• adjectives and phrases recorded by hidden microphones
• confederates acted as camp workers to observe
• the ‘collecting beans’ experiment showed if boys over-estimated the ability of the in-group members

Question 6

describe the integration phase

Answer 6

• increasing contact between the groups was trialled as a way of reducing conflict - encouraged to watch a film together
• after several contact activities, they were unsuccessful
• superordinate goals were introduced

Question 7

what were the results of stage 1

Answer 7

boys formed strong group identities and status positions were stable with a clear leader

Question 8

what were the results of stage 2

Answer 8

• when first came into contact = some name-calling
• clear negative attitudes towards out-group members
• tournaments increased the antagonism between groups
• food fights, damaging goods, offending songs were observed

Question 9

what were the results of stage 3

Answer 9

• contact alone was not enough to reduce tension
• superordinate goals caused hostile behaviour to subside
• new groups formed
• insisted they all want to go home on the same bus

Question 10

what was the conclusion to the study

Answer 10

• groups developed status hierarchy and group norms
• when two groups met at competition, hostility was formed
• contact did not reduce hostility by superordinate goals made them share responsibility

Question 11

positives of the study

Answer 11

• high internal validity - high selection in the sample (all middle class, no failures, similar educational levels
• concurrent validity - different data collected
• useful applications - superordinate goals ca reduce prejudice in football violence

Question 12

negatives of the study

Answer 12

• ethnocentric and androcentric
• low validity - field variables therefore extraneous variables
• exposed to situations viewed as dangerous - winning pen knives - ethical guidelines of protection