Name: robbers cave and group conflict
Uploaded: 2020-02-12T11:07:45.000Z
Duration: 4 min 49 s
Channel: JoVE

En 1954, lo que comenzó como un campamento de verano en medio del Parque Estatal Robbers Cave en Oklahoma surgió como un famoso estudio de campo sobre la identidad social y las relaciones intergrupales.

Basándose en trabajos anteriores, Muzafer Sherif y sus colegas probaron la teoría realista del conflicto, una noción de que los individuos que deben luchar por recursos escasos, ya sean percibidos o reales, comienzan a exhibir tendencias competitivas y actitudes negativas como resultado.

Antes de llegar, los investigadores seleccionaron cuidadosamente a 22 niños de quinto grado de antecedentes socioculturales y personales similares y los asignaron al azar a uno de dos grupos.

Todos los sujetos eran desconocidos entre sí, así como desconocían el propósito del experimento y que serían observados y registrados de manera conspicua por los investigadores que estaban disfrazados de miembros del "personal del campo".

Durante la primera fase de formación en grupo, los niños de 11 a 12 años llegaron en autobuses separados, sin saber que los demás existían, ya que estaban alojados en sitios aislados. Se les indicó que se unieran a su grupo mientras participaban en actividades, como senderismo y piragüismo.

A lo largo de su primera semana juntos, los chicos se conectaron y establecieron normas grupales, cantando canciones y jugando, así como sus identidades. Ahora son los Eagles y los Rattlers.

Para preparar la siguiente parte, se permitió a los Rattlers deambular cerca del campo de pelota, a una distancia para escuchar el juego de los Eagles. En la práctica del día siguiente, los Rattlers declararon exteriormente que el campo era "suyo".

Para la segunda etapa, la fase de fricción intergrupal, el personal anunció oficialmente la presencia de otro grupo. Esta revelación provocó una mayor conciencia de "nosotros" contra "ellos", y ambos equipos siguieron adelante con una rivalidad entusiasta.

En una serie de eventos, los grupos competían en un torneo de actividades, como béisbol y tira y afloja. Si bien la mayoría de los resultados fueron determinados por el equipo victorioso, algunas ocasiones, como las inspecciones de la cabina, fueron juzgadas por el personal para mantener los totales de puntos ajustados y los equipos motivados para ganar.

Durante la semana siguiente, ambos bandos participaron en numerosos incidentes de insultos y humillaciones, incluso de campistas que no participaron tan activamente en la participación física.

A medida que pasaban los días, las frustraciones de los perdedores se volvieron más físicas: los Eagles quemaron la bandera de los Rattler y, a su vez, los miembros tomaron represalias; el espíritu deportivo estaba en declive, a medida que se acercaba el olor de la victoria; y las tácticas injustas tomaron a los confiados Rattlers fuera de balance.

El ambiente, ahora hostil, fomentó el saqueo de las cabañas: las camas fueron volcadas y las propiedades fueron robadas, incluidos los cómics. Y, efectivamente, las incursiones se convirtieron en un suceso recíproco cuando el torneo estaba llegando a su fin.

Quién prevalecería dependía del último evento, una búsqueda del tesoro. Sin que los campistas lo supieran, el equipo ganador fue determinado por los investigadores, quienes manipularon las rutas.

En los días posteriores a la victoria y la derrota, los investigadores dedicaron tiempo para que todos se refrescaran y disfrutaran de actividades en grupo, incluido el tiempo de natación civilizada en la playa.

Al final de la segunda fase, los grupos se colocaron una vez más en proximidad física entre sí, y se observó su comportamiento. Sus respuestas confirmaron las tendencias a clasificar favorablemente a su propio grupo interno, lo que indica relaciones grupales positivas, y al grupo externo desfavorablemente, lo que pone de relieve la persistencia de las actitudes intergrupales negativas.

Para la etapa final, la fase de integración intergrupal, los investigadores elaboraron numerosas situaciones no competitivas en las que los dos tendrían que trabajar juntos para lograr objetivos comunes, metas superiores, en un esfuerzo por reconciliar las actitudes y comportamientos de los grupos. Por ejemplo, el camión del campamento se quedó atascado y todos tuvieron que tirar del vehículo para que arrancara.

Muy pronto, la división entre "nosotros" y "ellos" desapareció, junto con la hostilidad intergrupal. Los chicos terminaron su estadía con positividad: salieron del campamento en un autobús.

Al final, el uso de la cooperación para lograr objetivos compartidos puede disolver a los enemigos percibidos en amigos y derribar las barreras sociales que podrían alimentar el conflicto.

Sherif, M., Harvey, O. J., White, B. J., et al. (1988). El experimento de la cueva de los ladrones: conflicto intergrupal y cooperación. Middletown, CT: Prensa de la Universidad Wesleyan

Sherif, M. (1956). Experimentos en Conflicto de Grupo. Scientific American, 195(5), 54-59. Obtenido de www.jstor.org/stable/24941808

Gaertner, S. L., Dovido, J. F., Banker, B. S., et al. (2000). Reducción del conflicto intergrupal: de los objetivos superiores a la descategorización, la recategorización y la diferenciación mutua. Dinámica de Grupos, Teoría, Investigación y Práctica, 4(1), 98-114. doi: 10.1037//1089-2699.4.1.98

Kelly, S. y Collett, J. L. (2008). De C. P. Ellis a la integración escolar: la psicología social de la reducción de conflictos. Brújula de Sociología, 2(5), 1638-1654. doi:10.1111/j.1751-9020.2008.00154.x

Mannix, R. y Nagler, J. (2017). Tribalismo en medicina: nosotros contra ellos. JAMA Pediatrics, 171(9), 831. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2017.1280

Creasy, T. y Kinard, J. (2013). Fusiones y Adquisiciones en el Cuidado de la Salud: Implicaciones de la Teoría del Conflicto Realista de la Cueva de los Ladrones y la Teoría de Juegos del Dilema del Prisionero. El Gerente de Atención Médica, 32(1), 5-68. doi: 10.1097/HCM.0b013e31827edadd

Spini, D., Elcheroth, G. y Fasel, R. (2008). El impacto de las normas grupales y las generalizaciones de riesgos entre grupos en los juicios sobre el comportamiento bélico. Psicología Política, 29(6), 919-941. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9221.2008.00673.x

la cueva de los ladrones

Robbers Cave

During the 1950s, the landmark Robbers Cave experiment demonstrated that when groups must compete with one another, intergroup conflict, hostility, and even violence may result. At the Oklahoman summer camp, two troops of boys&mdash;termed the Rattlers and the Eagles&mdash;took part in a week-long tournament. During this time, their negativity culminated in derogatory name-calling, fistfights, and even vandalism and destruction of property. However, this work also revealed that such tension could be lessened through the implementation of superordinate goals, or objectives that, in order to be reached, require groups to work together in a positive manner. For example, during the Robbers Cave study, along with teaming up to help start a truck, both the Rattlers and Eagles pooled their money to view a popular movie at the time, Treasure Island (Sherif, Harvey, White, et al., 1988; see also Sherif, 1956). Although the Robbers Cave study only focused on two small groups, its insight into the formation and remediation of intergroup conflict is still applicable today.

Mechanisms of Action of Superordinate Goals 

While the common goals introduced in the Robbers Cave experiment helped to unite the Rattlers and Eagles, the question arose as to how this was possible. More recent research has suggested that this outcome may result from changes in how groups categorize one another (Gaertner, Dovido, Banker, et al., 2000). On the one hand, when two groups come together during a subordinate goal, this behavior results in one-on-one interactions between members. Instead of an &ldquo;us&rdquo; and &ldquo;them&rdquo; mentality, individuals get to learn about one another&mdash;like each other&rsquo;s favorite games, friends, sports, and home life. This process decategorizes a member of a different group; they are seen as a distinct person, rather than part of a &ldquo;them&rdquo; enemy faction.

In addition, when groups unite under a common goal, people recategorize one another as having the same identity (Gaertner, Dovido, Banker, et al., 2000; see also Kelly &amp; Collett, 2008). For example, when the Rattlers and Eagles joined together to help start a truck needed to procure provisions, they may not have seen themselves as &ldquo;us&rdquo; and &ldquo;them&rdquo; cliques, but rather as members of the same camp working together to solve a problem affecting everyone. This recategorization was also observed at the end of the study when campers rode home together on a single bus singing the song &ldquo;Oklahoma.&rdquo; Here, everyone was united and shared a collective identity&mdash;both as members of the same camp, and (on a larger scale) as Oklahomans, with pride in their home state. Thus, through fostering decategorization and recategorization of group members, subordinate goals can help lessen conflict.

Applications of Lessons from Robbers Cave

Intergroup conflict occurs in different walks of life: schools (Kelly &amp; Collett, 2008), workplaces (Mannix &amp; Nagler, 2017), healthcare systems (Creasy &amp; Kinard, 2013), and even between nations in the form of outright warfare (Spini, Elcheroth &amp; Fasel, 2008). Some researchers are looking at how lessons learned during the Robbers Cave experiment&mdash;such as using superordinate goals to reduce hostility&mdash;may be employed to improve relationships between individuals in these different fields.

For example, some work has focused on how healthcare mergers&mdash;like when two hospitals combine into one&mdash;are affected by intergroup conflict (Creasy &amp; Kinard, 2013). This process can be complicated if employees of the respective facilities adopt an &ldquo;us vs. them&rdquo; mentality, which can breed suspicion and dislike, resulting in parties failing to exchange patient or operational information. This reaction may be due, in part, to workers feeling that they compete for a limited number of jobs in the newly-merged entity. To combat this thinking, solutions such as reassuring employees that their jobs are secure and emphasizing superordinate goals&mdash;like providing stellar, accessible care for all patients&mdash;may help to reduce conflict.

Other work has focused on means to lessen conflict in desegregated schools, where negative interactions may occur between children of different racial or ethnic groups (Kelly &amp; Collett, 2008). Here, superordinate goals&mdash;like those related to extracurricular activities&mdash;are again emphasized as a way to improve student relations. For example, camaraderie and respect can be fostered amongst the members of a football team who experience the superordinate goal of winning games. Possibly, these positive interactions can also be reinforced by highlighting each individual&rsquo;s unique contribution to the team, and the fact that all players share a unique identity&mdash;they are all members of (and represent) the same school. Thus, by applying principles of the Robbers Cave experiment, intergroup hostilities experienced in today&rsquo;s society can be lessened, and friendships may be fostered between individuals of different backgrounds.

La Cueva de los Ladrones

Durante la década de 1950, el histórico experimento de la Cueva de los Ladrones demostró que cuando los grupos deben competir entre sí, el conflicto intergrupal, la hostilidad y ...

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robbers cave and group conflict

The Robbers Cave study shows how group conflict can grow when teams are forced to compete. In the 1950s, two boys’ groups at an Oklahoma summer camp, called the Rattlers and the Eagles, entered a week-long tournament. As the competition continued, their hostility grew into name-calling, fistfights, vandalism, and damage to property.

The study also showed one way to reduce that tension. Researchers used superordinate goals, which are shared goals that groups can only reach by working together. In the Robbers Cave experiment, the boys teamed up to push a truck and pooled their money to watch the movie Treasure Island.

These shared tasks helped change how the groups saw each other. One effect was decategorization, where people start to see members of the other group as separate individuals instead of as part of an enemy “them.” Another effect was recategorization, where both groups begin to see themselves as part of one larger “we,” such as the same camp or, in this case, Oklahomans riding home together on one bus and singing “Oklahoma.”

The lessons from Robbers Cave still matter today. Intergroup conflict can appear in schools, workplaces, healthcare systems, and even wars between nations. Researchers have used this idea to think about hospital mergers, where workers may suspect one another and avoid sharing patient or work information if they feel they are competing for jobs. Reassuring employees that their jobs are secure and stressing a shared goal, like giving all patients strong and accessible care, may help lower conflict.

The same idea can also help in desegregated schools, where students from different racial or ethnic groups may have negative interactions. Superordinate goals linked to extracurricular activities can improve relationships. A football team, for example, can bring students together around the shared goal of winning games. Teachers can also strengthen respect by showing how each player contributes and by emphasizing that everyone represents the same school.

Robbers Cave and Group Conflict

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robbers cave

The Robbers Cave study shows how group conflict can grow when teams are forced to compete. In the 1950s, two boys’ groups at an Oklahoma summer camp, called the Rattlers and the Eagles, entered a week-long tournament. As the competition continued, their hostility grew into name-calling, fistfights, vandalism, and damage to property. The study also showed one way to reduce that tension. Researchers used superordinate goals, which are shared goals that groups can only reach by working together.

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stereotype-threat-and-self-fulfilling-prophecies

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key terms and concepts

Learn how the Robbers Cave study showed that competition can fuel conflict and how shared goals, like teamwork, can reduce hostility.

Robbers Cave and Group Conflict | JoVE K12

JoVE Core Social Psychology offers a comprehensive learning experience on the principles of social behavior through concise, animated video lessons. The series explores key topics such as self-concept, social cognition, group dynamics, stereotypes, and relationships. It provides a structured foundation for understanding human behavior in social situations. Students gain insights into how individuals think, feel, and behave in social contexts while examining the psychological processes that influence interactions and judgments. By integrating theory with real-world applications, these lessons offer a clear and engaging approach to mastering essential concepts in social psychology.

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JoVE Core Psicología Social muestra de forma práctica los fundamentos de nuestro mundo social. A través de 66 lecciones audiovisuales, concisas y de fácil comprensión, se explican los conceptos clave de este campo. Además, en otros 25 vídeos de científicos en acción, se presentan experimentos de investigación clásicos y originales.

Robbers Cave and Group Conflict

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