After a fierce rivalry developed between the two groups of boys, psychologist Muzafer Sherif found that simply having the two groups of boys spend time together in peaceful situations, such as eating together in the dining hall, greatly reduced the intergroup tension.

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Muzafer Sherif found that simply having the groups engage in contact through peaceful situations like eating together was not enough to reduce intergroup tension significantly. He discovered that cooperative efforts towards superordinate goals (goals that are important to both groups and can only be achieved through their joint efforts) were necessary to significantly reduce the rivalry and tension between the groups. This was demonstrated in the Robbers Cave Experiment.

After a Fierce Rivalry Developed Between the Two Groups of Boys