Sherif et al's Robbers Cave Experiment 1954/1961

What was Sherif's aim?

To investigate whether in-group and out-group conflict can be created between groups with no prior relationships

Type of Sample used:

Opportunity Sample

Sample Size:

22 boys

Sample Characteristics

White
Middle Class
Protestant
Schooled in Oklahoma
11 years old

Sample Mental Characteristics:

Emotionally and Socially well adjusted

What type of experiment was used?

Field experiment

What was the independent variable?

The competitive tasks used

What was the dependent variable?

Number of friends identified in outgroup

What standardised task was used?

Asked to collect beans
Estimated the number of ingroup and outgroup beans collected

What were the results of the bean collection task?

Overestimated in group.
Underestimated outgroup

What qualitative data was collected?

Tape recordings
Observation of boys behaviour for 12 hours a day

What was the 1st stage?

Bonding stage:
Canoeing, pitching tents

What was the 2nd stage?

Competition stage

What was the 3rd stage?

Superordinate goals

How did the Eagles and Rattlers differ?

Eagles: Cried when they were injured, anti-swearing
Rattlers: Tough, swore

By the end of stage 2 what % of Rattlers friends were Eagles?

6.4%

By the end of stage 3 what % of Eagles friends were Rattlers?

36.4%

What did Sherif conclude?

Intergroup competition = increased ingroup favouritism and outgroup hostility
Superordinate goals > social contact for reducing conflict

Generalisability:

AO1: Can in-group and out-group conflict can be created between groups with no prior relationships. 22 white middle class boys from Oklahoma
AO3: Low Generalisability as is culture and gender biased. Cannot generalise to wider population.

Reliability:

AO1: Standardised Procedure- Bean Collection task.
Estimate ingroup and outgroup total.
Observation and tape recorders

AO3: Easily replicable so can test for reliability.
Multiple observers can test for inter-rater reliability.

Counter: Boys created competition: asked to play baseball game

Applications:

AO1: Superordinate goals reduce conflict. Water tower
Stage 2: 6.4% of Rattler's friends were Eagles
Stage 3: 36.4%

AO3: Charity football match remove competition.
Societal benefit of less conflict between fans and violence around football matches.

Internal Validity:

AO1: Matched boy's IQ and sporting abilities. Split across groups.

AO3: Reduced pre-existing differences between groups.
Easier to establish a cause-and-effect relationship

Counter: Unequal sizes 2 boys from Eagles left.
Eagles left with 9.
Hostility more likely to increase

Ecological Validity:

AO1: Field Experiment
Took place at a real Boy Scout Campsite.
Activities: Canoeing, Baseball

AO3: High ecological validity and task validity
Behaviour is likely to represent real life situations
Applicable to real life

Ethics:

AO1: Parents gave consent.
Encouraged Fights: Exposed to physical and psychological harm

AO3: Did not protect from harm.
Question credibility of Sherif and findings