Sherif, M. In Common Predicament, 1966, Chapter 5
This paper is about intergroup relations at a summer camp.
Boys at a summer camp were divided into groups with leaders, and the groups
competed against each other, generating feelings of competition, hostility
and social distance. Later, they were brought together in activities designed
to reduce hostility and rivalry between groups.
Three experiments were conducted. The first two were terminated during
the group hostility stages, but the final experiment was continued to intergroup
activities. The boys were 11-12 years old. They were interviewed and analyzed
before selection and selected to minimize effects of prior acquantances,
neurotic tendencies, major physical or racial differences. All subjects
were well adjusted boys of white, middle classe Prostetant families.
During the camp "counselors" made observations of groups that
were backed up with independent observations from others not associated
with particular groups. Sociometric choices arose from casual conversations
with the boys. Some attitude assessments were introduced as games.
Initially the boys were housed as one big group, and after they began forming
friendships based on personal interests, they were assessed for "best
friends" and then the "best friends were split up" into separate
groups who immediately began a group task (an overnight trip). After the
trip a new assessment revealed that the "best friends" had shifted
to within the group.
The researchers concluded that friendship choices shift readily from strictly
interpersonal attractions toward in-group exclusiveness, as a part of group
formation and functioning.
On the third experiment, the boys were divided into two groups and contact
prevented between groups initially. Through a series of group activities
(cooking, cleaning, etc.), the boys started developing a hierarchy with
a leader and "lieutenants". The relative position in the group
was determined by a boy's effctive initiative within the group.
One study (hitting balls at a unmarked target) showed that the boys overestimated
the performance of the leaders and underestimated the scores of the lower-ranked
boys.
Conclusion from researchers was that "group organiztion (structure)
and group norms are products of interation among individuals in activities
embodying goals of high appeal value, and requiring performance of interdependent
tasks."
Individuals who did not support the group or who tried to bully were "punished"
by others through correctives or cold-shouldering.
Then the groups competed against each other in a series of sports activities.
The two groups soon developed rivalries and hostilities toward each other,
and pulled pranks against the rival group. However the competition increased
solidarity within each group. In a bean counting game, members overestimated
# beans picked up by their own members, and underestimated those of rival
members. The other group became the "enemy".
Now the researcher's objective was to increase cooperation among groups
by setting up activities that could be completed only by joint cooperation
among the two groups. Initially, merely putting the two groups together
for activities only worsened the taunting and teasing.
Then the researchers arranged various "superordinate" activities.
The two groups had to solve a water shortage problem, and pooled money
together to get a movie both groups wanted. They also used a tug-of-war
rope to jump start a truck together. Gradually through these activities
the intergroup hostilities were reduced. By the end the groups were basically
friendly toward each other, and friendships formed across groups.
Reduction of hostility occured through better information between groups
and intergroup contacts.