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Results

Background

Robbers Cave Experiment: Working with and Against Others

What is an example of Realistic Conflict Theory from your life? How can you apply it to solve problems?

Nick Britto, Shing Gao, Leon Jia

Background

Robbers Cave, Oklahoma

Muzafer Sherif

Muzafer Sherif

  • Turkish American social psychologist
  • One of the founders of modern social psychology
  • Interested in studying group dynamics and social conflict

What is a group?

Group

  • Definite status and role relationships between members
  • Set norms and values that regulate behavior and attitude of members

Subjects

Subjects

  • Group(s) of boys on a "wilderness retreat"
  • Lord of the Flies? (1954)

Theory

  • Resource competition/conflicting goals

= intergroup hostility

  • Prejudice and discrimination towards outgroup
  • Resolution? Superordinate goals

Theoretical Propositions: Realistic Conflict Theory

Hypotheses

Hypotheses

1) Individuals w/ common goals →group with hierarchical structure and roles

2) Two groups brought together under competition and group frustration → hostility

Methods

Methods

  • Two groups of 12-year-old boys
  • 3 phases/sub-experiments

Phase 1: In-group formation (5-6 days)

Phase 1

  • Groups kept separate from each other, unaware of the other's existence
  • In-group members encouraged to bond through camp activities
  • Groups named themselves, designed flags: "Eagles" and "Rattlers"

Phase 2: Group Conflict (4-5 Days)

Phase 2

  • Groups introduced to each other
  • Competitions, challenges, territory markings. limited camp resources
  • Winning prizes, but NO consolation prize
  • Two-day cooling off period, boys asked to characterize the other group

Phase 3: Conflict Resolution (6-7 days)

Phase 3

  • A few attempted conciliatory activities were introduced (communication, contact, celebration)

  • Superordinate goals (requiring cooperation) were introduced (drinking water problem, movie selection)

Results

The overall results showed a rapid development of strong intergroup relations but hostile intragroup relations eventually overcome by cooperation on a common task.

Discussion

Stage 1

- Not long after groups were introduced, group structure and hierarchy was clearly established.

- They developed an attachment towards members of their own groups.

- They named their groups - the Eagles and the Rattlers

Stage 1

Stage 2

- Prejudice between the two groups increased as time went on and competitions progressed

- Originally, conflict was verbal

- The situation escalated when the Eagles burned the Rattlers' flag

- The Rattlers retaliated by ransacking the Eagles' cabin

- They began physically fighting and needed to be separated

Stage 2

https://youtu.be/8PRuxMprSDQ?t=100

Stage 3

- Showing films and celebrating the fourth of July did not have any effect on reconciliation.

- Presenting a common goal and having both groups work towards it did result in reconciliation.

Stage 3

Discussion

The overall data collected was strongly in support of both proposed hypothesis.

Hypothesis #1

- The creation of a hierarchical structure in a group with common goals

- The data collected supports this hypothesis

- Each group formed an identity and a structure very quickly

- When the separate groups had a common goal, they joined together and formed a new group dynamic

Hypothesis #1

Hypothesis #2

Hypothesis #2

- Two groups in competition will develop hostile relations

- The data collected supports this hypothesis

- The two groups developed hostile attitudes towards one another and even violence

Questions + Criticisms

- Unsuccessful Middle Grove Experiment

- Competition and grouping were very artificial

- Narrow population, results not easily extrapolated

- Ethical concerns - “I’m not traumatized by the experiment, but I don’t like lakes, camps, cabins or tents anymore,” Doug Griset

Questions

New Research

New Research

  • PAX Good Behavior Game Studies (Johansson et al. 2020)
  • PeaceBuilders

Recent Applications

  • Modern Politics
  • HOCO
  • Sports Rivalries

Recent

Applications

Conclusion

  • Realistic Conflict Theory
  • Humans are socially volatile
  • Lots of additional research to be done on social psych

Conclusion

References

References

Fineburg, Amy C., et al. Myers' Psychology for AP®. Worth Publishers/

BFW, 2014.

Konnikova, M. (2012). Revisiting Robbers Cave: The easy spontaneity

of intergroup conflict. Scientific American. Retrieved January 26, 2021

McKay, B. (2020, December 29). The Untold Story Behind the Famous

Robbers Cave Experiment. Retrieved January 26, 2021

McLeod, S. A. (2008). Robbers cave experiment. Simply Psychology.

https://www.simplypsychology.org/robbers-cave.html

Sherif, M. (1954). Experimental study of positive and negative

intergroup attitudes between experimentally produced groups: robbers cave study. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma.

Sherif, M. (1958). Superordinate goals in the reduction of intergroup

conflict. American journal of Sociology, 349-356.

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