In a classic study by Hastorf and Cantril (1954), undergraduates from Dartmouth and Princeton were asked to watch a film of a particularly rough football game between their two university teams. Their perceptions of the game were then analysed. Fans from Princeton were most likely to make which of the following observations about the game?

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The question centers on Hastorf and Cantril's classic study of perceptual bias, where two groups (Dartmouth and Princeton fans) watched the same football game footage and tended to see the other side as more aggressive. Here is a detailed look at each option:

Option A: 'The Dartmouth players acted in self-defense against the hostile Princeton team.' This framing suggests that Dartmouth fans, not Princeton fans, would predominantly perceive the Dartmouth players as acting in self-defense. However, the study demonstrates that each group tends to interpret actions through the lens of their own team’s identity, often blaming the opponent rather than their own team. Since the question asks about Princeton fans’ observations, this option attributes a defensive posture to Dartmouth rather than Princeton, making it inconsistent with the specified perspective.

Option B: 'The Princeton players acted in self-defense against the hostile Dartmouth team.' This aligns with the core finding that observers tend to view actions through their in-group bias. Princeton fans are more likely to interpret the action as self-defense by Princeton players against a hostile Dartmouth team, framing the Princeton players as reacting to provocation rather than initiating aggression. The self-defense interpretation helps explain why Princeton viewers might downplay Princeton aggression and emphasize defensive motives.

Option C: 'The Dartmouth players showed good sportsmanship.' While some viewers might perceive good sportsmanship, the original study emphasized divergent perceptions of aggression and hostility between groups. Saying Dartmouth players showed good sportsmanship would reflect a more favorable interpretation of the Dartmouth side, which is less consistent with the common bias pattern reported when Princeton fans view the game.

Option D: 'The Princeton players showed poor sportsmanship.' This would attribute negative behavior to the Princeton players, which contrasts with the typical in-group favoritism bias observed in such studies. Princeton fans, identifying with their own team, are less likely to frame Princeton players as behaving poorly and more likely to view them as justified or defensive, rather than unduly aggressive.

In summary, the reasoning of observers in this study tends to reflect in-group bias, where Princeton fans would interpret actions in a way that favors Princeton and characterizes its players as defending against provocation. The other options either shift the interpretive focus away from the Princeton perspective or assign negative traits to the in-group, which is less consistent with the established findings of the researchers.

PSYC20009_2025_SM2 Lecture 1 Quiz

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