The Robbers Cave Study
Read The Robbers Cave Study and check the IELTS Reading answers. Group self-centredness seems to occur the minute people are divided into groups. It doesn’t matter what the group is, or on what basis it was formed, we perceive the group we belong to as being superior to other groups and we develop…
Passage preview
Group self-centredness seems to occur the minute people are divided into groups. It doesn’t matter what the group is, or on what basis it was formed, we perceive the group we belong to as being superior to other groups and we develop an ‘in-group’ bias.
Vocabulary from this passage
10 words worth learning before you sit the test, each with the sentence it appears in.
- desirable adjective
Wished for as being an attractive, useful, or necessary course of action, quality, or outcome
Strong communication skills are considered a highly desirable trait for individuals entering the medical profession.
- devise verb
To plan or invent a complex procedure, system, or mechanism by careful and deliberate thought
The engineering team had to devise a completely new strategy to solve the unexpected structural problem.
- engineer verb
To skillfully or artfully arrange for something to occur; to contrive or bring about a specific event
The project manager skillfully engineered a situation where the two rival departments had to collaborate.
- equal status noun
A condition in which different individuals or groups possess the same level of social rank or importance
Intergroup conflicts can often be reduced when opposing factions interact under conditions of equal status.
- group norm noun
An unspoken and often unwritten set of informal rules that govern individual behaviors in a collective
A powerful group norm quickly developed, dictating how team members should interact with external competitors.
- in-group bias noun
The tendency to favor one's own group over those belonging to other groups in attitudes and actions
The psychological study demonstrated that in-group bias forms almost immediately when individuals are divided into teams.
- manipulate verb
To control or influence a person or situation cleverly, unfairly, or unscrupulously to achieve an outcome
The researchers managed to manipulate the scoreboard to artificially increase the sense of competition between the groups.
- peer noun
A person of the same age, status, or ability as another specified person in a given context
Adolescents are heavily influenced by the behavior and expectations of their immediate social peers.
- perceive verb
To become aware or conscious of something; to come to realize or understand in a certain way
Individuals tend to perceive their own cultural practices as inherently superior to those of foreign nations.
- respective adjective
Belonging or relating separately to each of two or more people or things previously mentioned
After the introductory session, the delegates returned to their respective departments to implement the new protocols.
Answers with explanations
- 27-28: AE
27: The text states that the boys in the two groups were matched in terms of their "general popularity among their peers." This means they were roughly equal in how well-liked they were, which supports Option A: "They had approximately the same number of friends."
28: The text notes that the boys were given "a set of caps and T-shirts" bearing their group names ('Eagles' and 'Rattlers'). This matches Option E, which states that "They received clothes that identified the group they belonged to."
- 29. sporting events
The summary mentions that the Grand Tournament included a range of something to compete in. The text states that the tournament "involved ten different sporting events." Therefore, "sporting events" is the correct answer.
- 30. scoreboards
To find out what was used in the "dining hall" (joint hall where they ate meals), we look at the text, which says "These scores were displayed on big scoreboards." Thus, "scoreboards" is the correct completion.
- 31. equal
The summary needs a word to describe what the boys thought their scores were nearing the end. The text explains that the setup made the groups "think they were on almost equal scores" leading up to the final event. Thus, "equal" is the correct word.
- 32. Rattlers
The summary refers to the group "thought to be the tougher group." The text introduces the two names and explicitly identifies the "‘Rattlers’" as "the tougher group." Therefore, "Rattlers" is the correct answer.
- 33. cheating
The summary needs a word for what accusations were made in other games. The text mentions that in the tug-of-war, the Eagles "were said to be cheating." "Said to be" matches "accusations of," making "cheating" the correct answer.
- 34. less tough
The summary describes the Eagles, who "won the tournament." The text previously referred to the Rattlers as the tougher group and noted that the "group that was thought to be less tough lost the [first] game." Since the Eagles lost the first game to the Rattlers, they are the group considered "less tough."
- 35. food fights
The table asks for the "Result" of "eating" under "Equal status" conditions. The text states that "The meals [eating] resulted in food fights." Therefore, "food fights" completes the table.
- 36. watching films
The table needs the "Type of situation" where the boys enjoyed them but were not sitting together. The text explicitly links this result to "films." Thus, "watching films" is the correct answer.
- 37. common goal
The table needs the "Condition" for the situations like "raising money." The text categorizes these "other situations" as ones "where the groups had to work for common goals." Therefore, "common goal" is the correct condition.
- 38. ["solving problems","problem-solving"]
The table asks for the "Type of situation" where a "stuck truck" was an example. The text lists "solving problems" and gives "problem-solving situation" as the context for the stuck truck. The answer key accepts both "solving problems" and "problem-solving."
- 39-40: CE
39: The text states that the experimenters "set up" tasks "which involved the groups rating their own members" to "check how high the levels of group self-centredness [in-group bias] were." This directly supports Option C: "They used a rating exercise to assess the amount of in-group bias."
40: The text explicitly states that "these scores [for the tournament] were manipulated by the experimenters." This supports Option E: "They secretly altered some of the results of the tournament."