Psychology of Human Relationships

Group Dynamics

Group: "Two or more individuals that see themselves as members of the same social category."

Why conflict happens?

Male warrior hypothesis

Males has the psychological mechanism to plan, initiate, and execute aggression, because they have to protect reproductive resources."

Van Vugt et al: gender on intergroup aggresion

harvard students: males and females

Computer simulation game. To win: Last alive, or most money at the end of the game. Actions per round:

Buy industrial resources

Trade

Buy military resources

Threat

Initiate war

Males are likely to provoke attacks

Realistic Group Conflict Theory (RGCT)

source of conflict:

Opposing goals

Limited resource

causes:

In-group favouritism

Out-group discrimination

in-group norms

Sherif et al: Robber's cave study

11-12 year olds: purposefully sampled, put in summer camp

Stage1

Stage 2

Stage 3

Camp bonding

Combine with neighbouring camp

Divide into groups - close friends separated

Create competition with a prize (opposing goals + limited resource)

Situation where they need to cooperate (broken truck) = common goal

in-group favouritism

out-group discrimination

decrease in-group favouritism

decrease out-group discrimination

increased cooperation

Conflict resolution

Contact hypothesis

Meeting + common goal

Criterions:

Acquaintance potential (frequency of meeting)

Institutional support

Equal status in meeting

Activity needing cooperation

Social cognitive learning theory

"People can learn through observing others"

Paluck et al: SCLT on conflict resolution

Background: conflict between Hutus and Tutsis

Rwandans (Hutus and Tutsis) - stratified sample

Watch film

questionnaire

Soap opera about reconciliation between Hutus and Tutsis

Increased trust and willingness to cooperate

Control: health film

Males likes fun f**k with their spouse, which makes them aggressive to other people to protect the spouse

Prejudice and discrimination