Social Approach- Sherif - Issues and Debates

- The boys did not give informed consent = shows a LACK OF RESPECT for the participants 

--------------------------------------------------> because it takes away their right to withdraw 

- Researchers subjected them to situations of conflict without their content 

However ... consent was gained from parents 

- Attempted to ensure high ecological validity - while still allowing conflict to progress in order to                                                                                observe. Normally, leader would break up conflict. 

- Some boys found it strange that pictures were being taken of them when raiding the huts of the other camps rather than stopping them = may have caused them to act differntly 

Only looking at social factors - no recognition of individual differences of biological predispositions 

Realistic Conflict Theory = The fact of beloging to a group is enough to lead to prejudice against another group. Stages: Social catorgorisation, Socail Identification, Social Comparison 

Social Identidy Theroy = The proximity of the authority figure will increase with obediance + the more powerful the authprity figure, the greater the elvel of obsediance 

No

Issues with replication when conducting field experiments 

Yes 

Many observers = high inter rathigh inter rater reliability

Recorded tape recordings = increased validity of observations 

Hard to determine if there are cultural of gender factors influencing the bheaviour

The role of personality in obedience compared with the role of the situation

Used this to develop methods on how to reduce prejudice

Reducing Prejudice 

Reducing conflict in society. Cost-benefit analysis of harm to participants being outweighed by the responsibility researchers have to society.

Psychiological Theories for obediance which can be applied to real life situations may develop rasicm in certain situations. 

For example, may suggest Germans are more impresionable = may cause rascit attitudes towards all Germans to blame them for WW2