#21: Whose team are you on?

Adding an extra dose of behavioral science to your week with our series In a Nutshell— a collection of behavioral science principles, explained in 150 words or less, written weekly by CUBIC director Allison Zelkowitz.

Think about where you live. Which groups are the most polarized: opposing political, ethnic, or religious groups? 

In India, the caste system divides Hindus into hierarchical, inherited social classes; while the constitution bans caste discrimination, divisions between castes persist in many communities.

To bridge these divides, researchers in Uttar Pradesh conducted a fascinating experiment – they recruited 1,261 men from all castes to join a cricket league, playing 640 matches. Participants were randomly assigned to teams, as well as a control group. 

After the experiment, researchers determined that the league increased cross-caste friendships by 45%, primarily due to exposure to “other-castes” as teammates. However, importantly, many “other-caste” friendships developed outside of the league, too. Nevertheless, while collaborative contact promoted social interaction, adversarial contact destroyed it – players who faced more “other-caste” opponents made fewer “other-caste” friends. 

 Their key takeaway? Intergroup contact can reduce prejudice, but only when it is collaborative, not competitive.