Recall Muzafer Sherif's research with two groups of 11-year-old boys camping at Robber's Cave (the "Eagles" and the "Rattlers"). The groups were fiercely competitive for several weeks. What triggered a peaceful reconciliation? That is, how was their animosity finally brought to an end?
A) They were brought into more and more frequent contact with one another.
B) They engaged in a number of tasks that built perspective-taking abilities.
C) They were put in a situation that established a clear winner and a clear loser.
D) They were put in a situation where they needed to cooperate in order to achieve a superordinate goal.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The boys were brought together and given a common goal that they could only achieve through cooperative efforts, thereby reducing intergroup hostility and promoting cooperation. This is known as the superordinate goal approach.

Recall Muzafer Sherif's Research with Two Groups of 11-Year-Old Boys