of a larger superordinate group that has a common goal rather than two independent groups who are in conflict with each other. In the case of Sherif's summer camp, both groups of boys, the red and the blue, thought of themselves simply as campers when they were working together, rather than as part of the blue or red groups. Ingroups Having both groups consider themselves part of one larger superordinate group is valuable to the reduction of discrimination, because evaluation of members in one's own group tends to be more positive than evaluation of members outside of one's group. However, the two groups do not need to lose their individual identities in order to become part of the superordinate group. In fact, superordinate goals work best to reduce intergroup conflict when both groups consider themselves subgroups that have a shared identity and a common fate. This allows both groups to keep the positive aspects of their individual identities while also keeping salient everything that the two subgroups have in common. Rebuttal of Contact Theory Sherif's work on superordinate goals is widely seen as a rebuttal of contact theory, which states that prejudice and discrimination between groups widely exists due to a lack of contact between them. This lack of contact causes both sides to develop misconceptions about those who they do not know and to act on those misconceptions in discriminatory ways. However, Sherif's work showed that contact between groups is not enough to eliminate prejudice and discrimination. If groups are competing for the same limited resources, increasing contact between the groups will not convince the groups to see each other more positively. Instead, they will continue to discriminate, as the boys in Sherif's summer camps did. This is especially true when the groups are of unequal status and one group can control the resources and power. Caveats and Critiques Longevity The effects of superordinate goals have not always been shown to last beyond the completion of such goals. In Sherif's study, the separate group identities did not dissolve until the end of the camp. The two groups of boys had less hostility toward each other but still identified with their own groups rather than the larger superordinate identity. Zero-Sum Goals In some cases, there are no superordinate goals that can bring together two separate groups. If there really are zero-sum goals that put groups in competition with each other,