In Sherif's Robbers Cave study, the important finding was that cooperative goals can reduce intergroup hostility.

In Sherif's Robbers Cave study, the important finding was that cooperative goals can reduce intergroup hostility.

• A. A Cooperative Goal Can Reduce Intergroup Hostility
• B. Hostility Cannot Be Reduced
• C. Individual Obedience Is The Key To Reconciliation
• D. External Sanctions Are Sufficient

Answer: (A)

Cooperation toward a shared goal can reduce intergroup hostility. In Sherif's Robbers Cave study, two groups of boys developed strong hostility after competing for scarce rewards. When the researchers introduced tasks that required members of both groups to work together to achieve common ends, the groups had to depend on each other to succeed. This interdependence reduced prejudice and lowered aggression, showing that conflict can be alleviated not by punishment or obedience, but by creating conditions where cooperation toward a superordinate goal is necessary. The key idea is that shared objectives create a sense of “us” that spans the former divisions, making cooperative problem solving essential and diminishing the inclination to view the other group as an enemy.

Cooperation toward a shared goal can reduce intergroup hostility. In Sherif's Robbers Cave study, two groups of boys developed strong hostility after competing for scarce rewards. When the researchers introduced tasks that required members of both groups to work together to achieve common ends, the groups had to depend on each other to succeed. This interdependence reduced prejudice and lowered aggression, showing that conflict can be alleviated not by punishment or obedience, but by creating conditions where cooperation toward a superordinate goal is necessary. The key idea is that shared objectives create a sense of “us” that spans the former divisions, making cooperative problem solving essential and diminishing the inclination to view the other group as an enemy.