No Man is an Island

            Among the oldest facts ascertained about human nature is that Man is a social being. “No man is an island.” This truth entails that we have an inherent desire to socialize and mingle with others. The interaction between people consequently leads to the formation of groups. A group is one of the basic social units a person could become part of. It consists of individuals that can relate to each other and who follow a set of values that regulate how each member behaves.

Muzaffer Sherif studied in-group relations, out-group relations and inter-group relations in his famous Robbers Cave Experiment. This study focused on the concept of a group and how the sense of belongingness to a group could affect the interaction of its members to each other and towards the members of other groups. The experiment involved three stages that include in-group formation which consists of activities that will promote group identification, friction phase which will tend to create tension between groups and the integration phase whose aim is to bring about reconciliation and cooperation between the conflicting groups. The subjects of the study who were twenty two 11 year old boys of middleclass socioeconomic status were brought to a summer camp in Robbers Cave State Park for the actual experiment. They were then divided into two groups whose members were randomly selected with each group not knowing the existence of the other. During the friction stage of the study, the two groups were finally introduced and a series of competitive activities followed. These activities created tension between the two groups which was manifested by offensive songs and callings. At the integration phase, the two groups were placed in a situation where they have to cooperate to be able to solve a problem. The experiment found out that groups were formed when a number of complete strangers were made to interact under similar contexts and events. Observation also established that conflicts lead to the stereotyping and discrimination of the members of the out-group. It also concluded that given a circumstance where cooperation becomes a must, the groups will tend to cooperate with each other to achieve the common goal.

            Another study conducted by Henry Tajfel also explored how being in a group could affect ones preferences. His Social Identity Experiment showed the natural tendency of members of a group to show favouritism or bias to their in-group by giving them higher points in a scoring system. Since every individual became associated with their group, it appears that the group is now part of one’s self. Thus, the benefit of the group turns into a self priority. The study of the group is a crucial key to the knowledge of how the society works since these different social groups are its building blocks. To understand group formations, interactions and behaviors will be essential in bringing harmony, peace and order in our chaotic society.

Sources:

Castillo, Joan Joseph(2010) Psychology Experiments. Retrieved: November 20, 2011 from Experiment Resources: http://www.experiment-resources.com/social-judgement-theory-experiment.html

**This is actually one of my homeworks in English 10 under Ms. Rapunzel Tomacder