Realistic Conflict Theory

Andy and Jim, colleagues from work, both love football. Andy is a Manchester United supporter, and Jim supports the Liverpool team, which is probably why they hate each other passionately. On one occasion, they discuss with a colleague, a volleyball fan, which sport is better, football or volleyball? Andy and Jim, who now play on the same team and have a common goal, become closer and decide to have lunch together. So can belonging to competing groups affect how we interact with others?

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Team Realistic Conflict Theory Teachers

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      We might find answers to some of these questions in the realistic conflict theory (Sherif, 1966).

      • What is realistic conflict theory?
      • What is social identity theory?
      • Who was Muzafer Sherif?
      • What was the Robbers Cave experiment?
      • What are the strengths and weaknesses of realistic conflict theory?

      Realistic Conflict Theory: Psychology

      Have you ever fought with your sibling over the last piece of clothing, the front seat, or food? Since they are your sibling you’re probably going to fight with them anyway, but the fighting can get more intense when only one item is left. This theory for fighting is a simple way of describing the realistic conflict theory.

      The realistic conflict theory says that when there are groups trying to get the same finite resources, there will be conflict.

      When you’re fighting with your sibling over the last biscuit, your view of them gets tainted by the fight for the biscuit. Chances are, you start to see (or even fabricate) lots of their negative qualities. The same thing can happen on a larger scale. The realistic conflict theory states that when two or more groups are fighting for scarce resources, they become prejudiced against and discriminatory towards the other group.

      Photograph of two girls walking on a trail. StudySmarterFig. 1. What would happen if these sisters only had one water bottle between them?

      The realistic conflict theory is a psychological theory of prejudice that suggests competition for scarce resources as the reason for conflict between groups. Group members are more likely to perceive their group as the better one and to view intergroup differences as evidence of the other group’s inferiority. Negative attitudes toward the out-group are therefore associated with the inter-group competition.

      This conflict theory relies on the definitions of the in-group and out-group.

      The in-group is the group of people with whom you relate. In realistic conflict theory, it is the group that you are fighting with for the resources.

      The out-group is the group of people with whom you don’t relate. In realistic conflict theory, you are fighting against the out-group for resources.

      Since you don’t know the out-group as well as you know the in-group, you are more likely to stereotype and negatively judge the members of the out-group, even if those are incorrect assumptions. It is the competition for resources that causes prejudice between groups.

      In the Olympic Games, sports teams from different countries compete against each other. The goal here is to win the gold medal. Supporters of sports teams can often make claims against each other or even feel anger and aggression toward the supporters of the competing team because the other team’s victory would be their loss.

      Realistic Conflict Theory vs Social Identity Theory

      Before we continue learning about the realistic conflict theory, it’s important to understand its differences from the social identity theory.

      Social identity theory states that we categorise others and ourselves into groups. Our prejudice stems from this categorisation since we view members from our group as superior to bolster our self-esteem.

      Social identity theory says prejudice happens when we choose to view other groups unfavourably to ascertain that our group remains better. Social identity theory’s main difference from realistic conflict theory is that it states that intergroup conflict can still happen even when there’s no competition for limited resources.

      Both of these theories are viable explanations for why prejudice happens. They are focused on the cognitive reasoning behind prejudice, saying that it’s based on how we view others or ourselves.

      Can you think of other reasons why prejudice happens?

      Muzafer Sherif’s Realistic Conflict Theory and Prejudice

      Have you ever thought about how, even though some social psychology principles seem straightforward, someone developed them? Muzafer Sherif was the Turkish-American psychologist who developed this theory, the realistic conflict theory. He was not only influential in his work in conflict theory, but he also is one of the psychologists who helped found the field of social psychology.

      Sherif was looking at conflicts between groups when he first theorised realistic conflict theory. His famous study, the Robbers Cave experiment, helped launch Sherif and his theory onto centre stage.

      Realistic Conflict Theory Example

      The Robbers Cave experiment was not only the first major experiment studying realistic conflict theory but is also one of the ones that best demonstrate the theory.

      The Robbers Cave study was one of the first studies to examine intergroup relations at three levels: group formation, inter-group conflict, and conflict reduction. The sample consisted of 22 white boys, approximately 11 years of age, from similar socioeconomic backgrounds and Protestant families.

      There were a couple of key phases to the experiment. The first was the ingroup formation phase. During this time, the boys were randomly divided into groups: the ‘Eagles’ or the ‘Rattlers’. During the first week, each group spent time getting to know each other through group activities such as creating a flag for their group, hiking, or swimming. The goal was for each member to form an attachment with their group.

      Photograph of boys playing in water. StudySmarterFig. 2. One of the bonding exercises was swimming together.

      Competition Over Limited Resources

      To see if competition for rewards would lead to conflict, the researchers designed the inter-group conflict phase, in which two groups competed against each other in a series of contests such as tug-of-war. The winning team received a reward. Inter-group competition is an example of negative interdependence, a condition in which victory for one group means a loss for the other.

      After competing against each other, the boys became verbally and physically aggressive toward the other group, the out-group. The boys threw food at them, called each other names during mealtime, or even burned flags of the out-group. These results show that competition leads to intergroup conflict and prejudice toward others.

      Collaboration and Superordinate Goals

      To bring Rattlers and Eagles together, the researchers set tasks that required cooperation between the groups to achieve a common goal that both groups desired. Superordinate goals create a state of positive interdependence – both groups must work together to succeed.

      One of the superordinate goals used in the experiment was to get the truck delivering a movie out of a ditch. Both groups were interested in seeing the movie, so they had to join forces and work together to pull the truck out of a ditch using a rope.

      Sherif found that conflict did lead to animosity and conflict between the groups but that the groups interacting and working together decreased the prejudice. These results show that even if two groups dislike each other, working towards a common goal can help lower the animosity.

      Realistic Conflict Theory Strengths and Weaknesses

      Just like all theories, realistic conflict theory has its benefits and drawbacks.

      Strengths

      Realistic conflict theory has been demonstrated in studies such as the Robbers Cave study. We can apply the understanding we get from realistic conflict theory to conflicts in general. We know that scarcity of resources can lead to group conflict so one way to reduce conflict is to increase resources. This can be employed in a school class or sports practice. If you’re in maths class and there are not enough calculators for every student, there will be fighting between the students. However, if there are enough calculators, there will be no conflict.

      While this can be a simple solution for some cases, in other instances, the resource can’t be multiplied. Many wars have been fought over natural resources such as land and petroleum. These resources cannot be increased like buying a calculator, making this strength limited in its capacity.

      Weaknesses

      In general, mutually exclusive goals exacerbate intergroup conflict. But the question of whether group identity alone can explain prejudice between groups remains. The two previously hostile groups might now coexist with almost no prejudice, having achieved a common goal. However, it is possible the common goal worked because it created an overarching (shared) group identity. In this case, the nature of the goals would not be as crucial in explaining prejudice as the boundaries of the group identity.

      According to social identity theory, mere identification with a group may be sufficient to develop a prejudice against out-groups and a preference for one’s group, even when the groups are not competing with each other.

      In some cases, overarching goals alone do not reduce conflict between groups. When efforts to achieve a common goal are unsuccessful, conflict can intensify. When groups cooperate but fail to achieve the common goal, it is common for the in-group to blame the out-group for the failure.

      Realistic Conflict Theory - Key takeaways

      • Realistic conflict theory says that when there are groups trying to get the same finite resources, there will be conflict
      • Social identity theory states that we categorise others and ourselves into groups. Our prejudice stems from this categorisation since we view members from our group as superior to bolster our self-esteem.
      • Muzafer Sherif is the psychologist who first developed realistic conflict theory
      • Sherif's study, the Robbers Cave experiment, was the first to study realistic conflict theory
      • Robbers Cave experiment split its participants into two groups. The groups
      Realistic Conflict Theory Realistic Conflict Theory
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      Frequently Asked Questions about Realistic Conflict Theory

      What is Sherif realistic conflict theory?

      Sherif’s realistic conflict theory is a psychological theory of prejudice that suggests competition for scarce resources as the reason for conflict between groups. However, if the groups work together to achieve a shared goal, this reduces conflict and fosters co-operation. 

      What is a strength of realistic conflict theory? 

      Realistic conflict theory has been demonstrated in the Robbers Cave study. We can also see this theory in action in the real world, such as in the European Union. 

      What are examples of realistic conflict theory?

      Realistic conflict theory includes conflicts between countries competing over natural resources or conflicts arising between supporters of two frequently competing sports teams.

      What is the realistic conflict theory of prejudice? 

      The realistic conflict theory of prejudice posits that negative attitudes toward out-groups develop when competing for scarce resources. Out-group members are perceived as a threat and considered inferior.

      Who pioneered the realistic conflict theory?

      Sherif (1966) pioneered the theory to explain his findings from the Robbers Cave study.

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      StudySmarter Editorial Team

      Team Psychology Teachers

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