Tajfel (1971)

Uses: social identity theory

Aim: to investigate if intergroup discrimination would take place based on being put into different groups.

 

Participants: 48 boys, ages 14 - 15 years old, allocated into groups "based on preference" over klee or kandinsky's abstract painting. (the actual allocation was random) which makes it a truly a minimum group paradigm.

 

Procedure:

  • Each boy was given a task to award points to two other boys, one from his group and one from the other.

  • They were told the code numbers and the name of the groups of the two boys they were supposed to award. Points assigned by the boy through a matrix.

  • 2 systems of awarding points were used (separate)

    • System 1: the sum of the score is 15, if one chose 8, the other automatically choses 7. which means score for 1 increase, but decrease of the other.

    • System 2:

      • If a Klee member chose a high value for another Klee member, it would give a higher profit to the out-group.

      • If a Klee member chose a mid-range value for another Klee member, it would give the same points for the other group.

      • If a Klee member chose a low value for another Klee member, it would award only 1 point to the other team.

  • Maximum profit (earn the most), maximum joint profit (in total earn the most) and maximum difference (sabotaging the other group) were found in the matrices and the option which the children chose quantifies the amount of discrimination (maximum difference) they had against each other.

  • Uses the matrix to quantify discrimination.

 

Result:

  • In the first system, the boys generally awarded more points to the in group, showing in group favouritism.

  • In the second system, they were willing to give their own team fewer points with the goal of maximizing the difference between in group and out group. (surprising finding)

 

Conclusion:

  • The natural tendency of members of a group to favour in group, despite meaningless groupings, they are able to find their respective groups. Demonstrated that a "minimum group" is all that is necessary for individuals to exhibit discrimination against an out-group