Lesson 1.3.1

1.3.1 Sherif's Robbers Cave, Burger, Reicher and Haslam, and Cohrs studies Quiz: Pearson Edexcel Psychology, Unit 1

20 questions

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Lesson 1.3.1, Sherif's Robbers Cave, Burger, Reicher and Haslam, and Cohrs studies: 20 multiple choice questions for the Pearson Edexcel Psychology (9PS0), Unit 1: Social psychology, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. In which year did Sherif and colleagues conduct the Robbers Cave study in its main form?

    • 1932
    • 1990
    • 1954
    • 1968

  2. How many boys took part in the Robbers Cave study?

    • 60
    • 12
    • 40
    • 22

  3. What were the two groups in the Robbers Cave study called?

    • The Hawks and the Foxes
    • The Blues and the Greens
    • The Eagles and the Rattlers
    • The Lions and the Tigers

  4. What were the superordinate goals in the Robbers Cave study?

    • Shared problems, such as a water supply failure and a broken truck, that both groups had to solve together
    • Written tests of knowledge given to each group, in which the best group won a holiday trip to the coast
    • Individual contests in which each boy competed for a prize that only he could win in the tournament
    • Separate rooms for each group, in which each boy had his own bed and a private space at the camp

  5. What was the main finding about intergroup relations in the Robbers Cave study?

    • Hostility stayed the same no matter what the groups did, since it was caused entirely by the boys' personalities
    • Hostility arose only after the boys were allowed to choose their own group members at the start
    • Competition created friendship, which grew stronger as the boys competed in the tournaments together
    • Competition created hostility, which fell when the groups worked together towards superordinate goals

  6. Which theory does the Robbers Cave study mainly support?

    • Realistic conflict theory, because hostility developed through competition and reduced through cooperation
    • Social identity theory alone, because the boys formed groups without any competition or conflict at all
    • Agency theory, because the boys followed the instructions of the researchers throughout the camp period
    • Social impact theory, because the number of boys in each group determined the level of hostility shown

  7. What is a strength of the Robbers Cave study as a field experiment?

    • It has high ecological validity because it took place in a real summer camp setting with natural interaction
    • It can be replicated exactly, since the same boys can be brought back to the same camp for each replication
    • It has perfect control, since every variable was held constant and no extraneous factor could affect the results
    • It is free of ethical concerns, since the boys were never placed in any situation that caused them distress

  8. What is a limitation of the Robbers Cave study?

    • The boys were not randomly selected from a wider population, so generalisation is limited
    • The study used a large, random sample of adults, which made the results difficult to generalise at all
    • The study was a questionnaire study, so the results depend entirely on what the boys said about each other
    • The study took place in a laboratory with no natural interaction, so the results have no real-world relevance

  9. Which ethical issue is most relevant to the Robbers Cave study?

    • The study used an anonymous online survey, which raises concerns about the storage of personal data
    • The boys were deliberately placed in competitive conflict, which raises concerns about psychological harm
    • The study was carried out in a university laboratory, which raises concerns about the use of electrical equipment
    • The study involved older adults who could not give consent, which raises concerns about capacity to agree

  10. In the Robbers Cave study, what did Sherif conclude about how to reduce conflict between groups?

    • Conflict can be reduced only by separating the groups permanently, so they never come into contact again
    • Conflict can be reduced when groups work together on shared goals that neither group can achieve alone
    • Conflict cannot be reduced at all, since hostility is caused by genetic differences between the boys
    • Conflict can be reduced by increasing competition, since groups learn to respect rivals in tournaments

  11. Why is Sherif's study described as a field experiment?

    • It was carried out using a survey of the boys' views, with no manipulation of conditions by the researcher
    • It was carried out only in the classroom, with the boys working on lessons assigned by their teachers
    • It was carried out in a natural setting, with the researcher manipulating the conditions of the groups
    • It was carried out in a laboratory, with the researcher having no control over the conditions at any point

  12. Which of the following best describes a realistic conflict in the Robbers Cave study?

    • Disagreement over sleeping arrangements, which was resolved as soon as the boys were moved to different huts
    • Disagreement about the boys' favourite food, which was never linked to any resource that was in short supply
    • Competition over prizes that only one group could win, creating hostility between the groups
    • Disagreement over the colour of the group flags, which had no effect on any resource the groups wanted

  13. A replication of the Robbers Cave study uses a larger, more diverse sample. What would this most improve?

    • The time taken for hostility to develop, since larger samples always make conflict appear more quickly
    • The internal consistency of the boys' answers on a single questionnaire given at the end of the camp
    • Generalisability of the findings to a wider population
    • The number of superordinate goals used, since larger samples always need more shared tasks to be set

  14. What is the Robbers Cave study's contribution to the psychology of prejudice?

    • It showed that intergroup hostility can be created quickly through competition and reduced through cooperation
    • It showed that prejudice is caused only by differences in appearance between the boys in the groups
    • It showed that prejudice is always genetic and cannot be changed by any form of contact or cooperation
    • It showed that prejudice does not exist among children, who are immune to competition and group loyalty

  15. A teacher uses team competitions to motivate a class. What does the Robbers Cave study suggest might happen?

    • Competition between teams has no effect at all on how the students feel about each other in any situation
    • Competition between teams will increase friendship only if the teacher keeps the teams separate throughout
    • Competition between teams will always remove hostility, since rivals always become friends in the end
    • Competition between teams may increase hostility between them, so cooperation should be built in too

  16. Which concept from social psychology best explains the groups' hostility in the Robbers Cave study?

    • Diffusion of responsibility, arising from the large number of people involved in the camp activities
    • Cognitive dissonance, arising from the boys' disagreement with the instructions given by the researchers
    • In-group favouritism and out-group hostility, arising from competition for a valued prize
    • Operant conditioning, arising from the reinforcement given only to the boys who behaved well at camp

  17. Which feature of the Robbers Cave study is an example of a controlled variable?

    • The boys were all of a similar age and background, and were placed in the same camp setting
    • The boys were asked to report their feelings about the other group at the end of each day in the camp
    • The boys were given free choice of activities each day, so the researchers had no control over the schedule
    • The boys were allowed to choose their own group members, so each group reflected personal friendships

  18. Which of these best describes what the Robbers Cave study tells us about cooperation?

    • Cooperation is only possible between individuals, not between groups, so group cooperation cannot be studied
    • Cooperation always leads to hostility, since working together makes groups feel threatened by each other
    • Cooperation has no effect on hostility, since intergroup relations depend only on personal characteristics
    • Cooperation on shared, important goals can reduce hostility that was created by competition

  19. A researcher argues the Robbers Cave findings may not apply to adults in workplaces. Which evaluation point does this raise?

    • Limited generalisability, because the sample was children at a specific camp setting
    • Perfect internal validity, because the sample was children at a specific camp setting with no extraneous variables
    • High generalisability, because the sample was children at a specific camp setting and so applies to every age
    • High reliability, because the sample was children at a specific camp setting and the procedure was repeated

  20. Which concept best describes the Robbers Cave findings about how groups relate when they compete?

    • Cognitive dissonance, which arose from the boys disagreeing with each other about their own personal beliefs
    • Intergroup conflict, which arose from competition and was reduced by cooperation on shared goals
    • Reconstructive memory, which arose from the boys recalling events from the camp in distorted ways later
    • Individual differences, which arose from the personalities of the boys and did not depend on the groups

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