Data Collection
Observer: participant observer allocated to each group for 12 hours a day Sociometric analysis: issues such as friendship patterns were noted and studied. Experiment: boys had to collect beans and estimate how many each other collected. Tape recordings: words and phrase used to describe their own group were studied.
Procedure:
The boys were transported in two groups to the Robber’s Cave National Park, Oklahoma. At the camp the two groups live separately. For five days they were given tasks to carry out together in order to help them bond. Each group was given a name (Eagles and Rattlers) to further strengthen their group identity. (to see how they became in-groups) After stage one, four days were spent trying to encourage friction between the groups by means of competitions to win attractive prizes like penknives. In stage three, the groups were brought together, initially to watch films and then to take part in joint problem-solving activities. For example, in one activity, the water supply had been blocked by ‘vandals’ and the two groups worked to remove the blockage, in another, the groups had to pool their money to for a film they all wanted to watch, and in another they all had to work together to free a truck that was apparently stuck in mud.
Results:
In stage one, the boys bonded with their group, and even though they had not met the other group, expressed a dislike of them. In stage two, the competition led to immediate hostility; the groups did not want to eat together, when together they shouted insults at each other, and it was reported by the observers that they were close to physical violence. Both groups raided each others’ huts and burned their flags. Early activities in stage three that just included getting the groups together without competition did not reduce hostility, however, the joint problem solving tasks did. Following these, both groups opted to share a bus home and the Rattlers spent a $5 won in competition on drinks for both groups.
Conclusions:
Some hostility was observed between the groups as soon as they were aware of each other. Once competition was introduces this became more intense. This suggests that competition is a factor leading to discrimination between groups, but that some takes place even without competition. However, when groups work together on cooperative tasks that benefit both of then, prejudice and discrimination can be reduced.
Evaluation
Strengths
Ecological validity was high - it was a field study with the boys in a natural environment.
The study had experimental validity - the boys were unaware they were being observed.
There were several different data collection methods, so what they found out in the observations they then found recording which backed up what they found.
Weakness
There is a strong problem of ethnocentrism in this study, which makes it less generalisable as well as less valid.
Ethically, this experiment is poor, as the boys were not informed in their participation, and they were also in danger of physical and psychological harm due to attacks on each others’ groups.