essay on competition leads to progress

Essays About Competition: Top 6 Examples and 10 Prompts

As you write about competition, discover our examples of essays about competition and writing prompts to unlock your competitive self.

We live in a highly competitive time, and one might easily say that competition makes the world go round. Indeed, doing your best to get ahead of others has perks, such as fame, money, promotion in the workplace, or esteem from your parents if you’re a student.

Beyond these immediate rewards, competition can help develop self-confidence, discipline, and tenacity, which help people survive and thrive. So unleash your competitive side by writing a thrilling essay about competition, and read our examples to inspire you.

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6 Helpful Essay Examples

1. is lack of competition strangling the u.s. economy by david wessel, 2. why competition is good for kids (and how to keep it that way) by devan mcguinness, 3. how great power competition has changed by shivshankar menon, 4. how life became an endless, terrible competition by daniel markovits, 5. how to create a successful partnership with your competition by norma watenpaugh , 6. the importance of positive coaching in competition by oscar ponteri, 10 exciting writing prompts on essays about competition, 1. how schools can encourage healthy competition, 2. how competition builds self-esteem, 3. importance of competition laws, 4. business competition in the digital age, 5. competition vs. cooperation, 6. dealing with sibling competition, 7. preparing for a competition, 8. competition in mother-daughter relationships, 9. love is not a competition, 10. competition in the animal kingdom.

“If we’re slow to take action to bolster competition — perhaps because incumbents successfully wield their power or because of a distaste for regulation of any sort — we risk diluting the dynamism of the economy and restricting the flow of innovations and new ideas, darkening the prospects for our children and grandchildren.”

The essay looks at the decline of competition in various US industries. In particular, it investigates factors — profits, investment, business dynamism, and prices — that can indicate the robustness of competition in a country. Falling competition is worrisome in economies as it enables incumbent firms to abuse their power and block new entrants, restricting consumers’ options for more affordable and better quality goods and services.

“Besides setting them up for wins and losses later in life—hey, they won’t always land that big promotion—competitive activities help them develop important skills they’ll use well into adulthood, like taking turns, developing empathy, and tenacity.”

Well-meaning parents might disapprove of competition to shield children from getting disheartened at losing. But child development experts say that competition has lifelong benefits for children, reinforcing the value of hard work, thinking positively, and being a good team player. However, parents should be careful in delineating healthy competition from unhealthy ones.

“Competition among great powers has extended to the sea lanes that carry the world’s energy and trade and is visible in the naval buildup by all the major powers that we see today—a buildup over the last ten years which is unmatched in scale in history.”

With the influence among global superpowers now spread more evenly, coupled with the fact that their interventions in conflict areas have only yielded prolonged battles, global superpowers are now more focused on their geopolitical reach. But some factors, such as their dependence on other superpowers for economic growth, also compel them to go beyond their horizons.

“Outrage at nepotism and other disgraceful forms of elite advantage-taking implicitly valorizes meritocratic ideals. Yet meritocracy itself is the bigger problem, and it is crippling the American dream. Meritocracy has created a competition that, even when everyone plays by the rules, only the rich can win.

Instead of intensely engaging in competition, why not just stop competing? This essay laments how meritocracy destroyed people’s relationships at home, all for advancing in the workplace. While throwing competition out of the window seems like an ambitious proposal, the author offers a glint of hope using the case of a policy framework created during the Great Depression.

“In my experience, working with your competition is not an intuitive thing for most people. It takes a strong value proposition to make the risks and effort worthwhile.”

When cooperating with your competition becomes a key to your goals, you resort to a strategy called “co-opetition,” short for cooperative competition. This essay fleshes out the situations where such alliances work and provides tips on making the most out of these relationships while avoiding risks.

“I have learned that competition holds incredible power… It’s all about how you utilize it. How our youth coaches frame competition will dictate the way we compete beyond athletics for our entire life.”

A high-school student shares his profound thoughts on the essence of positive coaching in the life of athletes even beyond the field. His beliefs stem from his experiences with a cold-hearted coach that turned around his love for sports.

Essays About Competition: How schools can encourage healthy competition

To start, cite the numerous benefits of competition in developing well-rounded students. Make sure to back these up with research. Then, write about how you think schools can create an atmosphere conducive to healthy competition. Provide tips, for example, calling on teachers to encourage students to participate and motivate them to do their best instead of keeping their eyes on the trophy. You may also share how your school is promoting healthy competition.

Competition can drive you to improve and build the foundations for your self-esteem. For this essay, research the scientific links between healthy competition and self-confidence. Look also into how competition can promote a mindset that goes for growth and not just the gold medal. Some who lose may see themselves as a failure and give up rather than seeing their loss as an opportunity to learn and do better.

Competition or antitrust laws aim to ensure robust market competition by banning anti-competitive acts and behaviors. First, briefly explain your country’s competition law and enumerate acts that are prohibited under this law. Then, to help readers understand more clearly, cite a recent case, for example, a merger and acquisition, where your antitrust office had to intervene to protect the interest of consumers.

The borderless digital world has made the competition very cutthroat, with the demands for innovation at a neck-breaking pace. But one advantage is how it has somewhat leveled the playing field between big and small businesses. Enumerate the pros and cons of the digital age to business competition and cite what emerging trends businesses should watch out for.

Should we be more competitive or cooperative? Or should we stop pitting one against the other and begin balancing both? Provide a well-researched answer and write an argumentative essay where you take a position and, with research backing, explain why you take this position. To effectively execute this writing style and its techniques, see our ultimate guide on argumentative essays .

Competition among siblings goes as old as the story of Abel and Cain. It can disrupt family peace and become a vicious, toxic cycle that can last into their adult years if unresolved. What are the other negative impacts of sibling competition on the family and the well-being of siblings in the long term? Identify these and research what experts have to say on managing sibling rivalry.

How do you prepare your mind and body for a competition? If you regularly participate in competitions, this is the right topic prompt for you. So, share tips that have worked to your advantage and find science-backed recommendations on how one can be ready on competition day both psychologically and physically. For example, studies have shown that visualizing your performance as a success can increase motivation, confidence, and self-efficacy.

Describe the factors that trigger competition between mothers and daughters. You can cite aspects of the gender theory identity developed by psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud . Then, differentiate the nature of the competition and its different stages as the daughter grows. Finally, help mothers navigate this confusing period and deal with strength and enormous understanding.

This quote is best for couples who fight like cats and dogs. For this writing prompt, explain how seeing your partner as a competition can destroy a romantic relationship. Then, offer tips on how your readers can make amends with their partners, reconnect with them and see them as allies. After all, relationships need intensive teamwork.

Write an informational essay about competition in the animal kingdom. For example, you might have to differentiate interspecific competition from the intraspecific competition. You might also have to flesh out the differences between competition and predation. Then cite the factors that trigger competition and its effects on biodiversity.

Before publishing, make sure your essay is error-free by using the best grammar checkers, including the top-rated Grammarly. Find out why Grammarly is highly recommended in this Grammarly review .

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Essay on Competition

Competition Argumentative Essays Examples

Type of paper: Argumentative Essay

Topic: Competition , Teamwork , Human Resource Management , Employee , Management , Company , Workplace , Marketing

Words: 1100

Published: 02/29/2020

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Competition continues to prove to the society as an ideal approach to achieving goals. In a number of occasions, it leads to increased levels of performance while the company strives towards conquering the opponents (Carnegie 34). However, competition has also been blamed for exploitation tendencies as people go to great strengths in order to best, whether in the classroom, in business or in the workplace. Competition means that there has to be a winner and this has its pros and cons. Therefore, the question that arises is, is competition beneficial to society? Clearly, while competition might cause harm to some of the participants, it spurs growth and is largely beneficial to society. One of the benefits of competition in this case is productivity gains. While more than, one person seeks o become managers, and there is only a single spot open, competition takes course. The employees go out to work harder in trying to outshine each other. They show stay late and up early, and volunteer to undertake extra works without any complaints. When the employees battle it out to get better positions, prestige, or pay, they work harder. Employees are working harder lead to an increase in revenue and productivity. This becomes a situation of win-win for the firm. The enhancement of the bottom line becomes the integral management focus so anything helping to achieve the same is beneficial (Covey 49). The other advantage of the competition in the workplace is employee benefits. Healthy competition brings out the potential of a person. It continues to break the absolute monotony within jobs that could have been stagnant. The pushes to success above fellow employees make others better persons. The competition includes planning and strategy, skills that one could not usually apply daily. They develop ways of bettering than other competitors that ultimately makes them better employees. Even though one ends up not securing the promotion, title, or raise they intended to, they become more well rounded than before, and it augments the resume richly (Carnegie 46). The other form of advantage is self-improvement. This is one of the ways that workplace competition becomes an advantage to the employees through spurring high levels of commitment towards self-improvement. While bonuses and financial incentives are a plus towards getting onto the competition, the individuals seeing the bigger picture take such competition as opportunities of bettering themselves while in a process of gaining a hand in the competition. Aspects of self-improvement include actions such as change of work habits into more organization, use of visualization as well as goal setting in achieving goals and performing work of a higher quality (Covey 68). Further, there are plenty of manager benefits associated to this course. All forms of good competition require judges while within the workplace managers are ultimate judges. Managers or respective management teams decide on which person gets new title or a promotion. This appears to be one of the hard jobs and not many are attracted to it but it is a good learning experience. Managers’ impartiality in practice along with high levels of wisdom for the decisions of the victors in healthy workplace competition is final (Carnegie 87). For female managers, the management and promotion tasks for other women add much tension within workplaces. Implementing assertive management as well as being out-spoken for various decisions helps in diffusion of such tension. Learning from competitors is another key advantage of competition. In most companies, workplaces are filled with skilled and talented individuals having diverse expertise and specialization areas. An element of friendly competition across employees helps in the promotion of atmosphere, which has conducive learning skill sets for each other’s failures and strengths for the company’s best interest. This allows for the generation of teamwork (Covey 89). While not all forms of workplace competition necessarily take place within individual levels, it can be engendering to the teamwork sense for the workplace while workers are grouped to compete with each other. It has various positive outcomes coming from workers in cooperation with each other. For instance, workers learn the impact of communication as well as helping other people while both of them spill into diverse work areas like customer service. On the contrary, some of the negative impacts of competition in the workplace include the creation of unhealthy rivalries resulting in workers having to resent each other. It becomes especially true in case one individual or team constantly wins the competitions. Such elements result in gaps between the workforce that proves to be rather unhealthy across internal relations at the workplace. Competition also creates stress hence proving counterproductive to efforts of some workers. Some workers are not always performing well under pressure and can be more productive in work environments that allow for more easygoing approaches to doing work. Fierce competition also amounts to an attitude of "win at all costs" and brings out the bad elements of some workers. Competition could be great on various sectors but not always in the workplace (Carnegie 86). Competition places the focus to individuals and not necessarily the teams. If people are working to their own benefit, the overall company objective may not be realized. The extensive synergy coming from having to work as creative groups loses meaning due to competition. Competition puts much stress on the people and causes early burnout that leads to individuals leaving their respective jobs instead of facing the competitive work environments. In summary, competition causes increase in the efficiency levels among employees in a company. The competitive atmosphere triggers the employees into producing exceptional work acceptable to both the management and more importantly, impressive work to the clients. Furthermore, aspects of competition push employees into meeting deadlines and adhering to management standards while avoiding the creation of poor impressions. They enable the employees gain the necessary management trust and confidence. Most organizations embrace a collection of competitiveness and cooperation in the course of doing business. The issues dictated in such cases are the rise in the workplaces for which extreme internal competition does not have adequacy in dealing with. In case the organization plainly focuses on competition without facilitated collaboration and a sense to shared fate, the management is on a time bomb of negative competitiveness (Carnegie 23).

Works Cited

Carnegie, Dale. How To Win Friends and Influence People. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2010. Print Covey, Stephen. R. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2004. Print

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IELTS Charlie

Your Guide to IELTS Band 7

IELTS Model Essays: Competition v Cooperation (IELTS 19)

In this lesson you are going to see 5 different essays written in response to the following task:

Some people think that competition at work, at school and in daily life is a good thing. Others believe that we should try to cooperate more, rather than competing against each other. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

Cambridge IELTS 19 Academic Test 1

Each essay responds to the same task in different ways. Each essay is accompanied by an essay plan and vocabulary list.

Here is the 1st essay. This essay discusses both sides of the debate, before arguing that cooperation is more beneficial over the long-term.

Essay 1 Plan

Introduction

Introduce the topic of competition vs. cooperation.
Mention the debate on which is more beneficial.
State the aim of the essay: discuss both views and provide my opinion.

Body Paragraph 1: Competition

Point: Competition drives individuals to excel.
Example: Workplace productivity and innovation.
Example: Academic motivation and critical thinking skills.
Explanation: Competition pushes individuals to acquire new skills and knowledge.

Body Paragraph 2: Cooperation

Point: Cooperation fosters teamwork and collective effort.
Example: Workplace problem-solving and diverse perspectives.
Example: Cooperative learning in schools.
Explanation: Cooperation enhances academic performance and social skills.

Body Paragraph 3: My Opinion

Point: Cooperation is more beneficial in the long run.
Example: Team-oriented workplaces and job satisfaction.
Example: Cooperative learning preparing students for real-world scenarios.
Explanation: Cooperation promotes community and belonging.
Summarize the benefits of both competition and cooperation.
Reiterate the preference for cooperation.
Final thought: Encouraging collaboration over competition leads to sustainable success.

[Introduction]

In today’s competitive world, the debate over whether competition or cooperation is more beneficial in work, school, and daily life is highly relevant. Some argue that competition drives individuals to excel, while others believe that cooperation fosters a more supportive and productive environment. This essay will explore both viewpoints and provide my perspective.

[Body Paragraph 1: Benefits of Competition]

Advocates of competition argue that it pushes individuals to reach their full potential. For instance, in the workplace, competition can lead to higher productivity and innovation as employees strive to outperform their peers. Similarly, in schools, students may be motivated to achieve higher grades and develop critical thinking skills to stay ahead of their classmates. The pressure to succeed can drive individuals to acquire new skills and knowledge, ultimately benefiting society as a whole.

[Body Paragraph 1: Benefits of Cooperation]

On the other hand, proponents of cooperation emphasize the importance of teamwork and collective effort. In work settings, collaboration can lead to more effective problem-solving and the sharing of diverse perspectives, resulting in better decision-making. In educational environments, cooperative learning encourages students to work together, promoting mutual understanding and support. This approach not only enhances academic performance but also helps students develop social and emotional skills, such as empathy and communication.

[Body Paragraph 3: My Opinion]

In my opinion, while competition can spur individual achievement, cooperation is ultimately more beneficial in the long run. Cooperation fosters a sense of community and belonging, which is essential for personal and professional growth. For example, in a team-oriented workplace, employees are more likely to feel valued and supported, leading to higher job satisfaction and retention rates. Additionally, cooperative learning in schools prepares students for the collaborative nature of modern work environments, where teamwork is often crucial to success.

[Conclusion]

In conclusion, both competition and cooperation have their merits. However, I believe that fostering a cooperative spirit is more advantageous as it promotes a supportive and inclusive environment, which is essential for sustainable growth and development. Encouraging collaboration over competition can lead to more meaningful and lasting achievements.

Vocabulary List

Competitive world – phrase referring to a society where individuals or groups compete.
Drive individuals to excel – idiom meaning to motivate people to achieve high standards.
Workplace productivity – noun phrase referring to the efficiency of employees at work.
Critical thinking skills – noun phrase denoting the ability to analyze and evaluate an issue.
Collective effort – phrase meaning a combined effort by a group.
Mutual understanding – noun phrase meaning shared comprehension among people.
Supportive and inclusive environment – complex noun phrase referring to a setting that encourages and includes everyone.
Personal and professional growth – noun phrase denoting development in personal and career aspects.
Team-oriented workplace – adjective-noun phrase describing a work environment focused on teamwork.
Sustainable growth – noun phrase meaning growth that can be maintained over time.

Here is the 2nd essay. This essay takes the view that while both competition and cooperation are beneficial, cooperation should be prioritised.

Essay 2 Plan

Acknowledge the ongoing debate.
State the aim of the essay: examine both perspectives and provide my opinion.

Body Paragraph 1: Benefits of Competition

Point: Competition drives excellence and personal achievement.
Example: Workplace productivity and performance incentives.
Example: Academic motivation and resilience in sports competitions.
Explanation: Competition leads to critical life skills.

Body Paragraph 2: Benefits of Cooperation

Point: Cooperation creates a harmonious and productive atmosphere.
Example: Workplace creativity and problem-solving.
Example: Cooperative learning and social skill development.
Explanation: Cooperation promotes a supportive environment.
Point: Cooperation is more beneficial for long-term success.
Example: Teamwork and employee satisfaction in companies.
Example: Cooperative learning preparing students for future challenges.
Explanation: Cooperation is essential in an interconnected world.
Summarize the advantages of both competition and cooperation.
Final thought: Prioritizing cooperation fosters a supportive society.

The ongoing debate about whether competition or cooperation is more beneficial in various aspects of life, such as work, school, and daily activities, continues to spark interest. Some believe that competition is essential for personal and societal advancement, while others advocate for the benefits of cooperation. This essay will examine both perspectives and provide my opinion.

Advocates of competition assert that it drives individuals to strive for excellence. In professional settings, competition can lead to increased productivity and innovation as employees aim to outperform their colleagues. Similarly, in educational contexts, competitive environments can motivate students to achieve higher academic standards and develop resilience. For instance, sports competitions teach students the value of hard work, perseverance, and discipline, which are crucial life skills.

[Body Paragraph 2: Benefits of Cooperation]

Conversely, those who favour cooperation argue that it cultivates a more harmonious and productive atmosphere. In the workplace, collaboration can enhance creativity and problem-solving by bringing together diverse perspectives and expertise. In schools, cooperative learning strategies, such as group projects and peer tutoring, help students develop interpersonal skills and foster a sense of community. Cooperation encourages individuals to work together towards common goals, promoting a supportive environment where everyone can thrive.

I believe that while competition has its place, cooperation is ultimately more beneficial for long-term success. In today’s interconnected world, the ability to work effectively with others is essential. For example, companies that emphasize teamwork and collaboration often experience higher levels of employee satisfaction and lower turnover rates. Similarly, students who engage in cooperative learning activities are better prepared for real-world challenges, as they learn to communicate, negotiate, and compromise.

In conclusion, both competition and cooperation offer unique advantages. However, I contend that cooperation should be prioritized, as it fosters a supportive and inclusive environment that is conducive to sustainable success. By promoting collaboration over competition, we can create a society where individuals work together to achieve shared goals, leading to greater overall prosperity.

Ongoing debate – noun phrase referring to a continuous discussion.
Drives individuals to strive for excellence – idiom meaning motivates people to aim for the best.
Resilience in sports competitions – noun phrase referring to the ability to recover from setbacks in sports.
Enhanced creativity and problem-solving – noun phrase describing improved ability to create and solve issues.
Collective goals – noun phrase meaning shared objectives.
Interconnected world – adjective-noun phrase describing a world where everyone is connected.
Shared knowledge and resources – noun phrase referring to information and materials that are used collectively.
Employee satisfaction – noun phrase denoting the contentment of workers.
Real-world challenges – adjective-noun phrase referring to practical problems faced in life.
Overall prosperity – noun phrase meaning general well-being and success.

Here is the 3rd essay, written in response to the same task. It takes a similar view to Essay 2, arguing that while competition can have short-term benefits, cooperation has long-term benefits.

Mention the relevance of the debate.
State the aim of the essay: discuss both viewpoints and provide my perspective.

Body Paragraph 1: Arguments for Competition

Point: Competition is a powerful motivator.
Example: Workplace performance and incentives.
Example: Academic achievement and scholarship motivation.
Explanation: Competition drives individuals to excel.

Body Paragraph 2: Arguments for Cooperation

Point: Cooperation fosters teamwork and mutual support.
Example: Workplace innovation through collaboration.
Explanation: Cooperation enhances social skills and inclusivity.

Body Paragraph 3: My Perspective

Point: Cooperation offers long-term benefits.
Example: Shared knowledge and resources in the workplace.
Example: Cooperative learning preparing students for teamwork.
Explanation: Cooperation promotes collective growth.
Final thought: Encouraging cooperation leads to sustainable success.

The question of whether competition or cooperation is more beneficial in work, school, and daily life is a subject of much debate. Some argue that competition drives progress and individual excellence, while others believe that cooperation fosters a more supportive and effective environment. This essay will discuss both viewpoints and provide my own perspective.

[Body Paragraph 1: Arguments for Competition]

Proponents of competition argue that it is a powerful motivator. In the workplace, competitive environments can lead to higher levels of performance as employees strive to achieve better results than their peers. For instance, sales teams often perform better when there are incentives for top performers. Similarly, in academic settings, students who compete for the highest grades are likely to put in more effort and achieve higher academic standards.

[Body Paragraph 2: Arguments for Cooperation]

On the other hand, advocates for cooperation highlight its importance in fostering teamwork and mutual support. In professional settings, collaborative efforts can lead to innovative solutions and improved outcomes. For example, tech companies that encourage teamwork often develop more creative and effective products. In schools, cooperative learning helps students build essential social skills, such as communication and empathy, and can lead to a more inclusive and supportive educational environment.

From my perspective, while competition can lead to short-term gains, cooperation is more beneficial for long-term success. Cooperative environments promote a sense of community and shared purpose. For instance, in a cooperative workplace, employees are more likely to share knowledge and resources, leading to collective growth and development. In educational settings, cooperative learning not only enhances academic performance but also prepares students for real-world scenarios where teamwork is essential.

In conclusion, both competition and cooperation have their advantages. However, I believe that cooperation should be emphasized as it fosters a supportive and inclusive environment, essential for sustainable growth and success. By promoting cooperative practices, we can create a more harmonious and productive society.

Relevant debate – adjective-noun phrase referring to a discussion that is applicable to the current context.
Powerful motivator – noun phrase meaning a strong incentive or drive.
Performance-based incentives – noun phrase referring to rewards based on achievements.
Scholarship motivation – noun phrase meaning the drive to earn academic scholarships.
Teamwork and mutual support – noun phrase denoting collaboration and helping each other.
Innovative solutions – noun phrase referring to creative and effective answers to problems.
Enhances social skills – verb phrase meaning improves the ability to interact with others.
Collective growth – noun phrase meaning development as a group.
Sustainable success – noun phrase referring to long-term achievement.
Encouraging cooperation – verb-noun phrase meaning promoting teamwork.

Essay 4 Plan

Introduce the debate on competition vs. cooperation.
State the aim: discuss both views and argue for the benefits of competition.
Brief overview of the main points.
Point: Competition drives innovation and progress.
Example: Tech industry advancements driven by rivalry (Apple vs. Samsung).
Explanation: Competitive environments encourage continuous improvement and creativity.
Point: Cooperation fosters teamwork and collective success.
Example: Group projects in academic settings.
Explanation: Cooperation helps develop communication and collaboration skills.

Body Paragraph 3: Opinion in Favor of Competition

Point: Competition prepares individuals for real-world challenges.
Example: Sports competition teaching resilience and discipline.
Explanation: Competitive experiences build crucial life skills.
Reiterate the stance that competition is more beneficial.
Final thought: Emphasizing competition leads to personal and societal growth.

The debate over whether competition or cooperation is more advantageous in work, school, and daily life is ongoing. Some argue that competition drives progress and excellence, while others believe that cooperation fosters teamwork and mutual support. This essay will discuss both perspectives, ultimately arguing that competition offers greater benefits.

Competition is a powerful driver of innovation and progress. In the tech industry, for instance, the rivalry between companies like Apple and Samsung has led to significant technological advancements. Each company strives to outdo the other by introducing new features and improvements, benefiting consumers with cutting-edge products. Such competitive environments foster continuous improvement and creativity, pushing the boundaries of what is possible.

On the other hand, cooperation is essential for fostering teamwork and collective success. In academic settings, group projects encourage students to work together, share ideas, and solve problems collaboratively. This helps them develop vital communication and collaboration skills, which are crucial for success in the modern workplace. Cooperation ensures that everyone’s strengths are utilized, leading to well-rounded and effective solutions.

[Body Paragraph 3: Opinion in Favor of Competition]

Despite the advantages of cooperation, I believe that competition is more beneficial as it prepares individuals for real-world challenges. Sports competitions, for example, teach participants resilience, discipline, and the importance of hard work. These experiences build crucial life skills that are applicable in various aspects of life. Furthermore, competition motivates individuals to strive for excellence and achieve their personal best, leading to personal and societal growth.

In conclusion, both competition and cooperation have their merits. However, competition is more beneficial as it drives innovation, prepares individuals for challenges, and promotes personal and societal growth. By emphasizing competition, we can foster an environment where individuals are motivated to excel and continuously improve.

Competitive environments
Continuous improvement
Collective success
Communication skills
Collaboration
Real-world challenges
Personal growth
Societal growth
Technological advancements
Academic settings
Market dynamics
Problem-solving
Product development
Strategic planning
Skill development
Productivity
Entrepreneurship
Economic growth
Benchmarking

Essay 5 Plan

Introduce the competition vs. cooperation debate.
Point: Competition enhances personal performance and achievement.
Example: Performance-based incentives in workplaces.
Explanation: Competition motivates individuals to reach their highest potential.
Point: Cooperation builds strong, supportive communities.
Example: Collaborative community projects.
Explanation: Working together helps solve local issues and fosters a sense of belonging.
Point: Competition drives economic growth and innovation.
Example: Competitive markets leading to better products and services.
Explanation: Competition encourages efficiency and higher standards.
Final thought: Prioritizing competition fosters excellence and societal advancement.

The debate between the benefits of competition and cooperation in work, school, and daily life is an important one. While cooperation promotes teamwork and collective success, competition can enhance personal performance and achievement. This essay will discuss both views, ultimately arguing that competition is more beneficial.

Competition significantly enhances personal performance and achievement. In workplaces, performance-based incentives drive employees to excel and reach their highest potential. For instance, sales teams often compete to achieve the best results, leading to increased productivity and higher sales figures. This competitive spirit motivates individuals to set ambitious goals and strive for excellence, ultimately leading to personal growth and success.

Conversely, cooperation is crucial for building strong, supportive communities. Collaborative projects, whether in schools or local communities, encourage people to work together towards common goals. For example, community clean-up initiatives bring residents together to improve their environment, fostering a sense of belonging and shared responsibility. Cooperation helps solve local issues effectively and creates a supportive network where individuals can rely on each other.

Despite the advantages of cooperation, competition drives economic growth and innovation. In competitive markets, companies are constantly striving to offer better products and services to gain a competitive edge. This leads to higher standards, efficiency, and continuous improvement. For instance, the fierce competition in the automotive industry has resulted in safer, more efficient, and environmentally friendly vehicles. Competition encourages businesses to innovate and optimize resources, driving economic prosperity and societal advancement.

In conclusion, while cooperation builds supportive communities and addresses local issues, competition is more beneficial as it enhances personal performance, drives economic growth, and fosters innovation. By prioritizing competition, we can create an environment where individuals and businesses are motivated to excel and continuously improve, leading to societal advancement and excellence.

Personal performance
Achievement
Performance-based incentives
Highest potential
Supportive communities
Collaborative projects
Sense of belonging
Competitive markets
Higher standards
Societal advancement
Goal setting
Entrepreneurial spirit
Competitive edge
Market leadership
Talent development
Strategic initiatives
Resource optimization
Competitive advantage
Performance metrics
Organizational success
Consumer satisfaction
Quality improvement

Practice Exercises 1

Try to complete the essays as above. Drag and drop the missing words/phrases into the correct spaces. (The exercise work best on desktop, not mobile).

Practice Exercise 2

The paragraphs in the following essay are in the wrong order. Try to put the paragraphs into the correct order.

Practice Exercise 3: Hard!

The sentences in the following essay are in the wrong order. Try to put the sentences into the correct order. This is quite difficult, so good luck!

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Discover the 7 STEPS to BAND 7 in IELTS Writing Task 2

Argumentative Essay on Competition’s Pros and Cons

Is Competition Really Good?

Introduction

Almost every day, people have to compete at work, in family, or in society. It may be the signing of a contract, or the winning or losing of a race, but this causes people to experience different emotions. In addition to the opportunity to feel joy, or to find new friends, competition can also lead to stress or obsession with a competitor.

The implication of competition

Competition always implies that a person needs to make an effort in order to achieve the desired result, for instance, to win tender or a race. It requires spending not only physical, but emotional energy. By overcoming personal limitations, a person becomes psychologically stronger, which can positively contribute to future achievements. The individual gets an opportunity to develop such qualities as stress resistance, creativity, and a sense of purpose (Harrison). Also, it is possible to develop other skills like speed or agility if the competition is related to physical activity. Also, achieving the desired results can bring positive emotions.

Apart from feeling joy for winning a competition, a person may also experience pleasant emotions in the process of achieving goals. For instance, in a summer camp, counselors organize competitions among several groups of children. Although everyone wants to win, the process of achieving a goal can be fun and interesting. Another example is that if competition is related to an activity that a person likes, then he or she will take part in it with great satisfaction, in addition to gaining new knowledge or skills. Therefore, it is worth not taking part in events where there is only one winning position, and it seems to be initially difficult, stressful, and impossible. Besides winning, an individual can gain experience of communication and find new friends in the course of a contest.

Interaction with people as a key to competition

In any case, competition involves interaction with people regardless of whether they are members of one team or opponents. If it is a group of people united by one idea, then it is a great way to learn how to communicate with others and take their opinions into account. Also, by taking the initiative and making efforts, a person gets an opportunity to become a group leader, which has a positive effect on the formation of personality traits (Bloomgarden). If it comes to competitors, an individual needs to be able or learn to accept the fact that rivals are also participants of the contest. However, everyone should be prepared for the negative factors of competition.

The first thing a participant should pay attention to is the fact that he or she may experience stress during a competition, and it may subsequently negatively affect well-being and productivity. Also, people may begin to experience anxiety both before and during the competition. This problem is most often faced by athletes, as they have to worry about their results (Hanton et al.). One more issue of the competition is that while reaching a goal, a person can be more focused on merely becoming better than someone else and not on developing personal skills and knowledge. Thus, the individual spends more attention on the opponent, rather than on himself or herself. In the case of achieving goals, it is worth considering the pros and cons of the competitive process.

Conclusions

To conclude, it should be said that no process in a person’s life can be too easy. Although during a competition an individual may experience negative emotions, it is also possible to get new knowledge or learn how to commune with strangers. Plus, it is an excellent opportunity to become an emotionally stable individual.

Works Cited

Bloomgarden, Kathy. “Being Competitive: Why It Will Get You Ahead.” Fortune , 12 Apr. 2015, http://fortune.com/2015/04/12/kathy-bloomgarden-staying-motivated/. Hanton, Sheldon et al. “Management of Competitive Stress in Elite Sport.” Handbook of Sports Medicine and Science, Sport Psychology, 2009, pp. 30-42., doi:10.1002/9781444303650.ch4. Harrison, Craig. “5 Reasons Why Competition Is Good (and Bad) for Your Child.” AUT Millennium, 14 Feb. 2017, https://news.autmillennium.org.nz/athlete-development/5-reasons-competition/.

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Life is an endless battle. We combat our fears, destiny, inner demons, and other phenomena that make us feel miserable and unhappy. But do we have to compete to feel better? Is competitiveness necessary for our development? The author of the essay on the competition above believes that competitiveness has a wide range of positive effects. Do you agree? Express your personal opinion in your essay on the competition!

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Competition in the Society: Positive and Negative Effects Essay

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Introduction

Works cited.

With escalating support for democracy and capitalism, value of competition has been absorbed in the society. Competition has emerged as an economic aspect in the society. Competition has positive and negative effects on the society. Notably, competition has reduced cooperation levels in the society. Loewen attempts to provide answers that revolve around the structure of the society.

He discusses different behaviors of people and impacts of social structures on the society. The book provides ideal recommendations on changes that the society should adopt. The essay will highlight benefits of competition in the society. Negative aspects associated with overemphasis on competition will also be presented. Advantages of cooperation and convergence of ideas will be scrutinized. A valid conclusion on whether the society can adopt cooperation model will be made.

Diversity is one of positive effects of competition on the society. There is a variety of products and services bringing the increase of consumer satisfaction. Diversity is embedded on innovation or creativity that every firm adopts, so as to enjoy competitive advantage. Prices of products and services are reduced, thus affecting consumers positively. Notably, price is competitive and salience is proportional to price of products. In this regard, consumers are more likely to purchase products that are cheap than buy the expensive ones. As a result, products are relatively cheaper since there are available substitutes as opposed to a situation of monopoly. High quality has also been embraced by firms as a way of satisfying consumers. Firms compete to deliver goods of high quality and low price to consumers so as to enjoy large market share.

Competition has shifted the focus from compliance to ethics. Businesses not only concentrate on satisfying existing legal concepts, but also wining over consumers. In process of maintaining loyalty and salience, businesses assume humanistic approach of doing what is morally right and acceptable by the society. Moreover, there is an inclination to the emotional aspect as the focus is on ensuring that products foster a long term and intrinsic relationship with consumers. As opposed to monopoly, competition ensures that needs of consumers are met in the best way possible. Businesses have to establish trust with consumers and ensure that presence of their products is felt rather than seen.

Competition has shifted the focus from services provided to relationship fostered. Competitive advantage is dependent on the extent, to which a firm adopts emotional approach. For marketing strategies to be effective, emotional element has to be present. Adoption of emotion by firms has increased consumer satisfaction thereby benefiting the society. Despite emergence of many firms, consumer’s welfare has been addressed in a humane way. All firms focus on fulfilling needs of consumers, as opposed to overemphasis on economic growth in a situation of monopoly. In this regard, competition fosters growth of many humanistic traits like honesty.

In spite of many benefits associated with competition in the society, there are negative aspects associated with the concept especially when it is overemphasized. “Stressing how middle class we are today is extremely problematic” (Loewen 206). Competition advocacy means that new entrants are encouraged to engage in business activities. Since consumer satisfaction is a competitive process, new entrants focus on meeting demands. It should, however, be noted that some approaches reduce willpower and rationality of consumers, thereby affecting the society negatively. For instance, some firms may take advantage of the fact that target consumers are middle class earners and have a need for cheap products. In such a case, competition would lead to emergence of products that are of low quality and price.

Despite the desire for cheap products, quality and safety should be emphasized, if competition is to be of help to the society. Suboptimal competition that reduces willpower of consumers, negatively affects the society. Further, increased population reduces cooperation and cohesion in the society. Cooperation of firms is associated with collective economic growth of society. Diversification is not always likely to affect the society positively. For instance, combined efforts by collection of firms are likely to benefit the society wholesomely and address the issue of classism. Over inclination on competition, on the other hand, promotes success of individuals and not groups.

Selfishness is one of the negative human aspects that are likely to arise, when competition is overemphasized. Competition means that individual firms will concentrate on their own satisfaction and profitability. Since competition is money driven, firms will only focus on achieving prestige and satisfaction. Lack of cohesion or cooperation will increase incidence of selfishness. There will be reluctance in combination of efforts and resources, since all firms will have similar goals of profitability that they want to enjoy individually.

It should be noted that competitive advantage can only be maintained, if there is rivalry especially among firms of the same industry. Competition that fails to satisfy the needs of consumers and entire society fosters negative human aspects. Dishonesty is also likely to be fostered especially in reducing will power of consumers. Increased competition will reduce business opportunities and new entrants will opt to engage in deceitful or unethical acts, so as to be able to secure market share. Deceitful acts like dishonesty will not draw collective concern, since individual firms concentrate only on their activities.

Despite increased advocacy for competition, it is not likely to affect the society in a positive way. As a matter of fact, a more collaborative model that emphasizes on cooperation has been preferred by most scholars. It should, however, be noted that adoption of a cooperative model is extremely difficult with increased competition. Profitability is one of the reasons why it is difficult for the society to adopt cooperative values. Every company focuses on maximization of profits and combined efforts would mean equal share of returns. In spite of the fact that combined efforts are likely to yield more results, individual firms prefer enjoying undivided benefits.

Supremacy and brand dominance that are sought by most firms would be of no value, if cooperative model was to be adopted by the society. Further, it is difficult to assume a cooperative model since firms are not equal. For instance, those firms that are enjoying a competitive advantage would find it hard to combine their efforts with new entrants. Some companies may lack sufficient capital required in establishment of a cooperative relationship. Creativity would also render cooperation of firms difficult. Strategies of diversification are not uniform and it would be impossible to cover all of them in a unified approach.

Despite the fact that human beings are social, cooperation is not automatic. Human beings live in societies that are shaped by many factors including identity and classicism. Human beings identify with social environment and perceive people from other places as foreigners. “Social class determines how people think about society” (Loewen 209). Behaviors and thoughts of people are influenced by social structures. In spite of the fact that people from different places socialize, cooperation is a process that calls for more identity and intimacy.

For instance, development of human beings is influenced by different surroundings. Notably, cooperation is difficult since human beings are influenced by environments differently and do not have similar interests. Further, individualization perception that focuses on personal victory discourages incidence of cooperation. Just like firms, individuals feel that they can succeed on their own and prefer individual approach to cooperative one. Moreover, people have different qualities that cannot exist in cooperation but assume individual approach.

Social factors like classism and racism also reduce the degree of cooperation. Human beings are influenced by social structures that they live in. Since the society focuses more on competition than cooperation, human beings will tend to compete rather than cooperate. Competition is associated with individual success as opposed to cooperation that highlights group success. In this regard, competition is more important to human beings than cooperation.

Competition is preferred to cooperation due to existing social structures. It should, however, be noted that adoption of a cooperative model is likely to lead to more benefits in the society than the competitive approach. “Social class is most important variable in the society” (Loewen 207). It determines the degree of cooperation and competition. Cooperation addresses needs of all people in the society, while competition favors welfare of those who are well endowed. Cooperation further transcends beyond objective of economic growth to social and psychological needs of the society. Cooperation would ensure combined efforts by firms in the society hence increased profitability. For instance, firms could combine their capital and share operational costs, thereby targeting a wider market.

In this regard, a firm that previously had insufficient capital could end up venturing in business hence economic growth. Firms that have already established markets at a national level could expand to the global level through cooperation. As a matter of fact, cooperation has been associated with success by most scholars in recent years. Cooperation is the best way to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor. Cooperation is likely to ensure collective benefits for society at a global level, as opposed to competition that benefits few affluent.

Our society has been influenced by social structures like competition to a large extent. As much as cooperation model might be attractive to the society, the process of its adoption would be difficult. “Few high schools offer anthropology courses” (Loewen 297). In this regard, social structures should be tamed in a way that promotes cooperation. Such changes can be interpreted as a process of taming the society. Despite the fact that taming the society would be a difficult process, it is possible to restructure the society.

Social structures are made by human beings and restructuring would mean reviewing existing organs. For instance, environment that influences human development can be manipulated in desired way. Incorporation of desired aspects in social environments like curriculum is a viable way to restructure the society. It should, however, be observed that results can only be realized gradually and not instantly. In this regard, young or future generations are likely to demonstrate a perfect version of the desired structure of the society.

Competition is one of existing social structures in the society today. The concept is associated with positive and negative effects in the society. Ideal competition promotes satisfaction of consumers, but overemphasis is likely to harbor adverse effects. Cooperation approach is better than competition model since it ensures collective benefits. Cooperation narrows the gap between poor and affluent significantly. The model is, however, difficult for most firms, since economic gain assumes high priority in the society. Despite the fact that taming is a long term strategy, it is the most ideal approach to restructure the society.

Loewen, James. Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong . New York: New York Press, 1995. Print.

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Speech About Competition [1,2,3 Minutes]

Competition is an activity which has always been there but it is growing in this modern world. Most people only know about the negative sides of competition but after reading this article you will be amazed to know the positive sides of it.

In this article, we shared some examples of speech about competition and why competition is important in one’s progress. There are three examples having a time duration of 1, 2 and 3 minutes.

Speech About Competition Leads to Progress | 1 Minute

Hello and welcome all of you gathered here. I am here to present a speech about competition and its importance.

People consider “competition” a negative activity but it also has many benefits which make it important for one’s progress. Just think if you get something without any effort, can you discover your real worth? The answer is a big NO.

A competitive environment pushes you to get out of your comfort zone and work hard to achieve the success you want. In this process, you explore new skills and possibilities, you get to know about your hidden talent and you strive to improve your knowledge.

Even though competition scares you, it is important for your growth. It helps you scale your weaknesses and strengths so that you can figure out where you are standing currently.

This is all I wanted to say. I hope you liked my thoughts. Thank you!

2-Minute Speech About the Importance of Competition

Hello, and good morning all of you,

Before I deliver my speech I would like to wish you all the best wishes & I also want to thank you a lot for having me a chance to share my views on this important topic i.e. about competition and its importance.

There are so many people in the world and the population is rapidly increasing. In this crowd, everyone is competing against others in one form or another. Competition is not a new concept, it has always been there since ancient times.

In this modern world, competition exists almost in every field be it education , job, business, politics etc. Generally, it is considered a negative thing but it is not. Healthy competition is always needed for one’s growth in terms of knowledge, creativity, skills and talent.

Competition motivates us to get out of our comfort zone and discover our hidden talents and skills. Apart from that, it evokes creativity in us so that we can do something new and unique to stand out in the crowd.

Most importantly, competition helps us analyse our weaknesses and strengths. This way we get to know about the position we are standing on. Also, when we know about our weaknesses and strengths, we act accordingly to improve our status.

To sum it up, there are many positive sides of competition which makes it an important factor in any field. Healthy competition can measure the quality and worth of a person. So, never say competition is a bad thing. Thank you!

3 Minute Speech About Competition

“Competition leads to progress” This is one of my favourite quotes which describes the significance of competition in just a few words.

I cordially welcome all of you gathered here. I am here to deliver a speech about competition and why it is an important factor for growth. Before I start my speech, I would like to wish you a good day. Also, I want to thank you for having me this valuable opportunity.

The word “competition” is a stress-giving word for everyone. Everyone is scared of competition. Yes! competition is a hurdle in the journey to success. Nevertheless, it is an important element that makes the journey interesting. Is not it true?

Competition is an activity which has always been there but it is growing in this modern world. Most people consider it a negative thing but It has a positive side too. Don’t you know about this positive side? Don’t worry! After listening to this speech you will be amazed to know the benefits of competition.

Just think, If you are asked to give an examination in which you are the only participant. What rank will you get? If you think you are going to get the first rank, you are right and wrong at the same time. Because even if you get the first rank, the last rank is also assigned to you. Right!

Now, let’s explore the benefits of competition and figure out how competition can help you progress in the field you are in.

Most Importantly, competition helps us analyse our weaknesses and strengths. This way we get to know about the position we are currently standing on. Even though competition scares you, it is the most important factor for growth. It helps us scale our weaknesses and strengths so that we can act accordingly.

If we list down the benefits of competition. Some of them are:

Helps us get out of our comfort zone,
Evokes creativity in us to do something unique,
Helps us improve our knowledge,
Inspires us to work hard,
Inspires us to work smart ,
Helps us discover hidden talents,
We explore new skills and possibilities,
We get to know our weaknesses,
We get to know our strengths,
We get to know our worth, etc.

To sum up this speech, we can conclude that competition has unlimited pros which help us to become a pro. So, stop saying that completion is bad. It is always for one’s progress and personal growth.

This is what I think about competition. I hope you liked my thoughts. Thank you!

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To Encourage Innovation, Make It a Competition

Four tips for designing an internal contest.

The competition format has fueled major successes in business. Fortune 500 companies like AT&T and American Express often sponsor online creativity contests to inspire innovation among their customers, while Kickstarter and other crowdfund platforms have ideas compete to win funding. And organizations can also use competitions to drive innovation within their own workforces.

Anil Rathi is founder of Innovation Challenge , the world’s largest and longest running university innovation competition, and CEO of Skild , a competition studio based in Los Angeles. Over Skild/Innovation Challenge’s 11+ year history, he’s helped hundreds of organizations inspire change and highlight creativity through the power of online contests. Follow him on Twitter @mrrathi .

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Essay on Competition

Introduction to Competition

Competition is an intrinsic aspect of human society, permeating various aspects of our lives, from academic pursuits to professional endeavors. Competitions, the rivalry between individuals or organizations vying for a common objective, are essential for forming skills, promoting creativity, and influencing personal growth. This essay explores the multifaceted nature of competitions, delving into their historical significance, diverse manifestations, benefits, drawbacks, and broader impact on education, the workplace, and society. By examining the dynamics of competitions, we can gain insight into their complexities and implications for individuals and communities alike. Through this exploration, we aim to unravel the nuanced interplay between competition and human endeavor, ultimately shedding light on its profound influence in shaping our collective experience.

Historical Perspective

Competitions have been a fundamental aspect of human society since ancient times, evolving alongside societal structures and cultural norms. Understanding their historical evolution provides valuable insight into their significance and enduring presence in contemporary society.

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Evolution of Competitions in Human Society

Competitions trace their origins to primitive societies where they served as a means of survival, determining leadership , and allocating resources. As human societies developed, competitions became more formalized, often intertwined with religious rituals, warfare, and political power struggles.

1. Examples from Ancient Civilizations

Ancient Greece : The Olympic Games, dating back to 776 BCE, epitomize the ancient Greeks’ reverence for physical prowess and athletic excellence. These games celebrated athleticism and served as a platform for diplomatic relations and cultural exchange among city-states.
Ancient Rome : Gladiatorial contests were a prominent competition in ancient Rome, where gladiators fought to the death to entertain spectators. These brutal spectacles reflected the values of Roman society, emphasizing strength, courage, and the subjugation of opponents.
Ancient Egypt : Competitions in ancient Egypt encompassed various domains, including art, architecture, and literature. For instance, the annual Heb Sed festival showcased the pharaoh’s vitality and legitimacy through ritualistic competitions and celebrations.

2. Modern-Day Manifestations

Sports Competitions : The legacy of ancient athletic competitions lives on in modern sports events such as the Olympics, FIFA World Cup, and Wimbledon. These global spectacles celebrate athletic prowess and promote international cooperation and cultural exchange.
Academic Competitions : Academic competitions like spelling bees, science fairs, and debate tournaments provide platforms for students to showcase their intellectual abilities and engage in scholarly discourse. These competitions foster critical thinking skills and intellectual curiosity among participants.
Business Competitions : In the corporate world, competitions manifest in various forms, including market competition, entrepreneurship challenges, and business plan competitions. These competitions drive innovation, encourage strategic thinking, and propel economic growth.
Artistic Competitions : Artistic competitions, such as film festivals, music competitions, and art exhibitions, allow artists to showcase their creativity and talent. These competitions contribute to the enrichment of cultural heritage and artistic innovation.
Technological Competitions : Technological competitions, such as hackathons, robotics competitions, and innovation challenges, serve as platforms for technological innovation and problem-solving. These competitions drive advancements in science and technology and promote collaboration among participants.

Types of Competition

Competitions encompass various activities and endeavors, spanning multiple domains and disciplines. Understanding the diverse types of competitions sheds light on the breadth of human endeavor and the myriad ways individuals and groups strive for excellence.

1. Academic Competitions

Debates and Oratory Contests: Academic competitions in the form of debates and oratory contests challenge participants to articulate arguments persuasively and defend their viewpoints on topics ranging from politics to philosophy.
Science Fairs and Research Competitions: Science fairs provide platforms for students to showcase their scientific inquiries, research findings, and innovative projects, fostering a culture of inquiry and discovery.
Mathematics and Coding Competitions: Competitive settings like the International Mathematical Olympiad and coding competitions like hackathons assess participants’ problem-solving and computational abilities.

2. Athletic Competitions

Team Sports: Athletic competitions in team sports, such as soccer, basketball , and volleyball, pit teams against each other in structured matches or tournaments, showcasing physical prowess, teamwork, and strategic insight.
Individual Sports: Athletic competitions encompass various disciplines, including track and field events, swimming, gymnastics, and martial arts, where athletes compete against each other to achieve personal bests or win medals.
Extreme Sports and Adventure Races: Extreme sports and adventure races challenge participants to push their physical limits in unconventional settings, such as mountain climbing, extreme skiing, obstacle courses, and endurance races.

3. Professional Competitions

Business Competitions: Professional competitions in business and entrepreneurship, such as startup pitch competitions and case competitions, provide aspiring entrepreneurs and business professionals with opportunities to showcase their innovative ideas and strategic insight.
Artistic Competitions: Professional competitions in the arts encompass a wide range of disciplines, including visual arts, performing arts, literature, and design, where artists compete for recognition, awards, and career advancement.
Professional Sports Leagues and Tournaments: Professional sports leagues and tournaments bring together athletes at the highest levels of competition in sports such as football, basketball, tennis, golf, and more, where they compete for championships, titles, and financial rewards.

4. Artistic Competitions

Visual Arts Competitions: Artistic competitions in the visual arts include exhibitions, juried shows, and competitions in painting, sculpture, photography, and mixed media, where artists compete for recognition, awards, and exhibition opportunities.
Performing Arts Competitions: Performing arts competitions encompass disciplines such as music, dance, theater, and spoken word, providing performers with platforms to showcase their talents, compete for awards, and gain exposure to audiences and industry professionals.

5. Technological Competitions

Robotics Competitions: Technological competitions in robotics challenge participants to design, build, and program robots to compete in tasks and challenges that demonstrate technical prowess, innovation, and problem-solving skills.
Hackathons and Coding Competitions: Hackathons and coding competitions bring together programmers, developers, and technologists to collaborate on innovative projects, solve real-world problems, and demonstrate their coding skills in competitive settings.
Engineering Competitions: Engineering competitions encompass various disciplines, including aerospace engineering, civil engineering, mechanical engineering, and more, where participants design, build, and test prototypes and solutions to engineering challenges.

The Role of Competition in Education

Examining the role of competition in education involves students, educators, and institutions engaging in various forms of competition within the educational arena.

1. Enhancing Learning and Performance

Motivation for Academic Excellence: Competition in education can be a powerful motivator for students to excel academically. The desire to outperform peers or achieve high grades can drive students to invest time and effort in their studies, leading to improved learning outcomes.
Preparation for Real-World Challenges: Educational competitions simulate real-world challenges, helping students develop problem-solving skills, critical thinking, and the ability to perform under pressure. These experiences contribute to the holistic development of students and prepare them for future endeavors.
Recognition and Opportunities: Academic competitions provide a platform for recognizing and rewarding exceptional talent. Students who excel may receive scholarships, awards, or other opportunities that further their educational and professional pursuits.
Fostering a Culture of Excellence: Healthy academic competition can foster a culture of excellence within educational institutions. When students and educators strive for excellence, it creates an environment that values continuous improvement and innovation.

2. Alternatives to Traditional Competitive Structures

Collaborative Learning Environments: Promoting collaborative learning environments shifts the focus from individual competition to group achievements. Encouraging teamwork and shared goals can enhance creativity and problem-solving skills.
Project-Based Assessments: Implementing project-based assessments allows students to showcase their knowledge and skills in practical applications. This approach emphasizes real-world problem-solving rather than focusing solely on exam performance.
Emphasis on Intrinsic Motivation: Creating an educational environment that nurtures intrinsic motivation can reduce the reliance on external rewards and competition. Encouraging a love for learning and curiosity can lead to more sustainable academic engagement.
Holistic Assessment Approaches: Holistic assessment approaches move beyond traditional grading systems by considering a student’s overall development, including social skills, creativity, and critical thinking, rather than solely focusing on exam results.

Competitive Dynamics in the Workplace

Competitive dynamics encompass individual’s and organizations’ interactions, strategies, and behaviors as they navigate competitive environments. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for effectively managing teams, fostering innovation, and achieving organizational success.

Competitive Work Environments : Workplace environments often foster employee competition driven by performance evaluations, promotions, and recognition. The desire to excel and stand out can lead to heightened colleague competitiveness.
Collaboration vs. Competition in Business : While competition is inherent in business environments, collaboration also plays a vital role in driving success. Balancing competitive pressures with collaborative efforts is essential for fostering teamwork, sharing knowledge, and achieving collective goals.
Strategies for Healthy Competition : Encouraging healthy competition involves creating a supportive and inclusive workplace culture that promotes fairness, transparency, and respect. Providing opportunities for skill development, recognizing achievements, and offering constructive feedback can mitigate the adverse effects of competition and encourage growth.
Innovation and Creativity : Competition can fuel innovation and creativity in the workplace by encouraging employees to think critically, solve problems, and explore new ideas. Healthy competition drives organizations to stay agile, adapt to market changes, and continuously improve products and services.
Risk of Unhealthy Rivalry : Unchecked competition may lead to unhealthy rivalry and conflict within teams or between departments. Jealousy, resentment, and lack of cooperation can hinder collaboration, diminish morale, and undermine organizational cohesion.
Performance and Productivity : Competition can enhance performance and productivity by incentivizing employees to strive for excellence and meet or exceed targets. Performance-based rewards, recognition programs, and competitive incentives can motivate individuals to achieve their best.
Leadership Role : Effective leadership plays a crucial role in managing competitive dynamics in the workplace. Leaders must set clear expectations, provide guidance, and foster a supportive environment that balances competition with collaboration. Key leadership tactics include encouraging open communication , empowering staff, and constructively resolving problems.
Ethical Considerations : Ethical considerations are paramount in competitive environments to ensure fair play and integrity . Organizations must uphold ethical standards, promote honesty, and discourage unethical behavior such as sabotage or deceit in pursuit of competitive advantage.

Benefits of Competing

Competing in various domains offers individuals and groups numerous benefits that contribute to personal growth, skill development, and overall well-being. Here are seven key benefits of engaging in competitions:

Personal Growth and Development : Competitions allow individuals to challenge themselves, set goals, and strive for improvement. Individuals develop resilience, self-confidence, and a growth mindset through competing, essential for personal and professional success.
Fostering Skills and Expertise : Engaging in competitions allows individuals to hone their skills and expertise in specific areas. Whether academic competitions that enhance critical thinking and research skills or athletic competitions that improve physical fitness and coordination, competing provides a platform for continuous learning and skill development.
Building Character and Resilience : Competitions teach valuable life lessons such as perseverance, determination, and sportsmanship. Facing challenges, setbacks, and failures in a competitive environment builds resilience and character, enabling individuals to bounce back more robustly and more resilient in the face of adversity.
Opportunities for Networking and Collaboration : Competitions bring together individuals with similar interests and goals, fostering opportunities for networking and collaboration. Whether it’s forming study groups for academic competitions or joining teams for athletic competitions, competing allows individuals to connect with like-minded peers and build valuable relationships.
Enhancing Performance Under Pressure : Competing in high-pressure situations helps individuals develop the ability to perform under stress and meet deadlines. Whether it’s delivering a presentation in a business competition or competing in a championship game, the experience of competing under pressure builds mental toughness. It enhances performance in various aspects of life.
Recognition and Achievement : Competitions provide a platform for individuals to showcase their talents and accomplishments, earning recognition and accolades. Whether winning a trophy in a sports competition or receiving an award for academic excellence, competing offers tangible rewards that validate hard work and dedication.
Motivation and Goal Setting : Competitions provide individuals with clear goals and benchmarks to strive for, motivating them to push beyond their limits and reach their full potential. Whether setting personal records in athletic competitions or achieving academic milestones in intellectual competitions, competing fuels motivation and inspires individuals to pursue excellence.
Preparation for Real-World Challenges : Engaging in competitions prepares individuals for real-world challenges by simulating competitive environments and providing opportunities to apply skills in practical settings. Whether navigating teamwork dynamics in group competitions or problem-solving under pressure in individual competitions, competing equips individuals with valuable skills and experiences transferable to various life aspects.

Drawbacks of Competitions

While competitions offer numerous benefits, it’s crucial to acknowledge the potential drawbacks and challenges associated with engaging in competitive environments. Understanding these drawbacks provides a more comprehensive perspective on the impact of competition on individuals and society. Here are seven key disadvantages:

Stress and Pressure : Competitions often create high-stakes situations, leading to stress and intense pressure. The fear of failure or the desire to outperform others can result in anxiety, negatively affecting mental and emotional well-being.
Risk of Burnout : Constant participation in competitive activities without adequate rest and recovery may contribute to burnout. The relentless pursuit of success can lead to physical and mental exhaustion, diminishing overall performance and enjoyment.
Adverse Effects on Mental Health : Intense competition may contribute to mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. Comparisons with peers, fear of judgment, and the constant pursuit of perfection can affect an individual’s mental well-being.
Potential for Unhealthy Rivalry : Competitions can sometimes foster unhealthy rivalry, creating a toxic environment where participants view others as adversaries rather than collaborators. This competitiveness may lead to strained relationships, a lack of cooperation, and a hostile atmosphere.
Focus on Winning Over Personal Growth : The emphasis on winning can sometimes overshadow the importance of personal growth and development. Individuals may become so focused on achieving victory that they must pay more attention to the valuable learning experiences from setbacks and failures.
Limited Diversity of Skills Recognition : Competitions often prioritize specific skills or criteria for success, potentially overlooking a broader range of talents and abilities. This narrow focus may need to fully recognize the diverse strengths that individuals bring to the table.
External Validation Over Intrinsic Motivation : Constant exposure to competitive environments may lead individuals to seek external validation as the primary source of motivation. Relying solely on external recognition can undermine intrinsic motivation and passion for the activity.
Inequity and Lack of Access : Some competitions may have barriers to entry, limiting participation based on factors such as socioeconomic status, resources, or geographical location. This can contribute to inequity and hinder equal access to opportunities.

Social Implications of Competitions

Competitions extend beyond individual and organizational contexts, impacting broader societal dynamics. Understanding the social implications of competitions is crucial for evaluating their effects on values, norms, and overall societal well-being.

Impact on Society’s Values and Norms : Competitions influence societal values by shaping success, achievement, and merit perceptions. The emphasis on winning and individual accomplishment may contribute to a culture that prioritizes specific skills or outcomes over others, influencing societal norms and aspirations.
Inequality and Access to Opportunities : Competitions exacerbate societal inequalities, as individuals with access to resources, education, and opportunities may have a competitive advantage. Addressing these disparities requires a focus on creating equitable access to competitions, ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to participate and succeed.
Cultural Significance and Identity : Cultural and identity-related competitions, such as art exhibitions or cultural events, contribute to preserving and celebrating diverse artistic expressions. However, these competitions may also raise questions about cultural appropriation, representation, and the potential commodification of cultural heritage.
Community Building and Social Cohesion : Local competitions, events, and group activities contribute to community building and social cohesion. These events foster a sense of belonging and shared identity, providing opportunities for social interaction, collaboration, and collective identity development.
Influence on Education Systems : Competitions shape curricula, teaching methods, and student priorities. The prevalence of high-stakes testing and academic competitions may contribute to a narrow focus on exam-oriented learning, potentially neglecting the development of critical thinking, creativity, and holistic education.
Pressure on Individuals and Mental Health : Societal expectations tied to competition can create immense pressure on individuals, impacting mental health. The pursuit of success, societal recognition, and the fear of failure may contribute to stress, anxiety, and mental health challenges, highlighting the need for a balanced and supportive approach.
Youth Development and Values Transmission : Competitions mold values and character, especially in juvenile sports and academic environments. It is imperative to consider the messages conveyed through competing situations and ensure they are consistent with virtues like justice, sportsmanship, and respect.
Media Influence and Perceptions : Media portrayal of competitions can shape public perceptions and attitudes. Coverage of competitive events, including the framing of winners and losers, can influence societal views on success, beauty standards, and the definition of achievement.
Promotion of Innovation and Progress : Competitions can drive societal progress by promoting innovation, research, and technological advancements. Contests such as science fairs, hackathons, and innovation challenges contribute to societal advancements.
Philanthropy and Social Impact Competitions : Competitions focusing on social impact and philanthropy contribute to positive societal change. Social entrepreneurship competitions and initiatives that address social issues align competitions with broader efforts to impact communities and address societal challenges positively.

The Future of Competition

As society evolves and technology advances, the competition landscape changes significantly. Understanding the future trends, potential shifts in competitive paradigms, and implications for individuals and institutions is essential for adapting to the evolving nature of competition.

1. Evolving Trends and Innovations

Digitalization and Virtual Competitions : The rise of digital platforms and virtual technologies is transforming competitions, making them more accessible and inclusive. Virtual competitions allow participants worldwide to compete remotely, expanding opportunities for engagement and collaboration.
The emergence of New Competition Formats : Innovations in competition formats, such as gamification, augmented reality, and immersive experiences, reshape traditional competitions. These new formats enhance engagement, creativity, and interactivity, providing novel ways for participants to showcase their skills and talents.
Focus on Sustainability and Social Impact : Future competitions will likely emphasize sustainability, environmental stewardship, and social impact. Competitions addressing pressing global challenges, such as climate change, poverty alleviation, and public health, will become more prevalent, driving positive societal change.
Integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Data Analytics : AI and data analytics are revolutionizing competitions by providing participants with insights, predictions, and personalized feedback. AI-powered healthcare, finance, and cybersecurity competitions leverage data-driven approaches to solve complex problems and drive innovation.

2. Potential Shifts in Competitive Paradigms

Collaborative Competitions : The future may shift towards collaborative competitions emphasizing teamwork, collective problem-solving, and co-creation. Competitions that foster collaboration among diverse stakeholders, including individuals, organizations, and communities, will become more prevalent, reflecting the interconnected nature of global challenges.
Emphasis on Lifelong Learning and Skill Development : Competitions may evolve to prioritize lifelong learning and skill development, moving beyond traditional notions of winning and losing. Competitions that focus on continuous improvement, personal growth, and adaptability will align with the evolving needs of individuals and societies in a rapidly changing world.
Blurring Boundaries Between Competition and Cooperation : Future competitions may blur the boundaries between competition and cooperation, recognizing the complementary nature of these dynamics. Competitions that encourage healthy competition while fostering collaboration, empathy, and mutual support will promote a balanced approach to achievement and success.

3. Implications for Individuals and Societies

Personalized and Inclusive Opportunities : The future of competitions will offer personalized and inclusive opportunities for individuals of diverse backgrounds, abilities, and interests. Customized competitions tailored to individual strengths and preferences will ensure equitable access and participation.
Empowerment and Engagement : Competitions will empower individuals to solve real-world challenges and positively impact their communities actively. Competitions that prioritize social impact, sustainability, and ethical considerations will inspire individuals to contribute meaningfully to societal progress.
Promotion of Innovation and Creativity : Future competitions will catalyze innovation and creativity, driving progress across various fields and disciplines. Competitions that encourage experimentation, risk-taking, and interdisciplinary collaboration will fuel breakthroughs and advancements that benefit society.

Competitions are integral to human society, driving personal growth, innovation, and societal progress. While they offer numerous benefits, competitions also pose challenges and require careful consideration of their implications. By embracing inclusive, collaborative, and socially responsible competition paradigms, we can harness the transformative power of competition to foster positive change, empower individuals, and build a more equitable and sustainable future for all.

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Front Psychol

The power of competition: Effects of social motivation on attention, sustained physical effort, and learning

Competition has often been implicated as a means to improve effort-based learning and attention. Two experiments examined the effects of competition on effort and memory. In Experiment 1, participants completed a physical effort task in which they were rewarded for winning an overall percentage, or for winning a competition they believed was against another player. In Experiment 2, participants completed a memory task in which they were rewarded for remembering an overall percentage of shapes, or more shapes than a “competitor.” We found that, in the physical effort task, participants demonstrated faster reaction times (RTs)—a previous indicator of increased attention—in the competitive environment. Moreover, individual differences predicted the salience of competition’s effect. Furthermore, male participants showed faster RTs and greater sustained effort as a result of a competitive environment, suggesting that males may be more affected by competition in physical effort tasks. However, in Experiment 2, participants remembered fewer shapes when competing, and later recalled less of these shapes during a post-test, suggesting that competition was harmful in our memory task. The different results from these two experiments suggest that competition can improve attention in a physical effort task, yet caution the use of competition in memory tasks.

Introduction

Social motivation has been defined as a drive for a particular goal based on a social influence ( Hogg and Abrams, 1990 ). Although research has examined correlative relationships between competition and learning ( Dweck and Leggett, 1988 ; Zimmerman, 1989 ; Oldfather and Dahl, 1994 ; Wentzel, 1999 ), few studies have examined how the presence of a competitor directly influences motivation, effort, and memory. In Burguillo (2010) found that implementing competition-based games in a classroom improved course performance. One might therefore assume that competition may directly improve some aspect of the memory process; yet, it is unclear whether competition directly affects attention, effort, or memory.

Recent research has shown that the presence of a competitor can increase physical effort over both short ( Le Bouc and Pessiglione, 2013 ) and long durations ( Kilduff, 2014 ). Competitiveness has also been shown to increase physical motivation, such as motivation to practice a sport ( Frederick-Recascino and Schuster-Smith, 2003 ). A better understanding of how competition improves performance may help shed light on how to improve cognitive performance (e.g., memory in the classroom). For example, if the presence of a competitor affected attention, we may expect to see an effect at encoding, since attention is one of many necessary components for accurate encoding ( Craik et al., 1996 ; Anderson et al., 2000 ; Fernandes and Moscovitch, 2000 ). However, if the presence of a competitor is affecting memory retention, we may expect a difference regarding long-term memory, but not short-term memory. Furthermore, competition could affect components of memory without affecting attention at all.

There may also be individual differences in the magnitude and direction of competition’s effect on performance. Individual differences exist in a variety of domains, especially those involving motivation ( Duckworth et al., 2007 ; Maddi et al., 2012 ). For example, previous research has found that individual differences in normative goals—i.e., wanting to perform better than others ( Grant and Dweck, 2003 )—have been shown to predict performance on ostensibly difficult tasks ( Swanson and Tricomi, 2014 ), suggesting that individual differences may be at play when examining competition’s effect on effort, attention, and memory. Also, competition may affect elements of effort and elements of memory in different ways. For example, if competition does indeed have an effect on attention, competition could have a varying effect depending on attentional load. In accordance with the Yerkes and Dodson (1908) law, one might expect that competition may improve performance in situations requiring a low attention load, but not in learning environments requiring high attentional load.

Additionally, research has yet to examine the potential social stigma associated with competition, or in other words, whether being competitive is viewed as a negative personality trait. Moreover, previous research regarding illusory superiority has found that individuals tend to rate themselves as having significantly more positive personality traits than the rest of the population, including traits such as trustworthiness, honesty, good-humor, and patience ( Hoorens, 1995 ). Furthermore, previous research has found that the majority of individuals rate themselves as significantly less likely to act selfishly than the rest of the general population ( Pronin et al., 2002 ), as well as drive better ( Horswill et al., 2004 ) than the rest of the general population. Since individuals tend to have unrealistically positive reflections of themselves, participants may tend to rate themselves as having less competitive behaviors—if competitive behavior is viewed as a socially negative trait—in order to continue to view themselves in a positively-skewed light.

Experiment 1 examined the effect of social motivation on a physical effort task. Experiment 2 examined the effect that the presence of a competitor can have on working memory and long-term memory. We hoped to gain insight regarding competition’s effect on effort, attention, and memory, as well as individual differences in competitive performance and the likely possibility of a social desirability bias regarding competitive habits.

Experiment 1

Experiment 1 examined whether competition affects physical effort. Specifically, we wondered if competition would affect sustained effort on an isolated, simple physical task, or if competition affects some other mechanism necessary for successful performance regarding physical effort, such as attentional control. Le Bouc and Pessiglione (2013) found that, when participants believed they were competing, they increased physical effort, suggesting that social factors often increase motivation. However, research has yet to parse the mechanisms at play in social motivation and physical effort. For example, does competition increase effort at the attentional level, or does the presence of a competitor increase sustained effort over time? Previous research has suggested that reaction times (RTs) are indicative of an individual’s level of selective attention ( Eason et al., 1969 ; Stuss et al., 1989 ; Prinzmetal et al., 2005 ), while sustained press rates have been regularly implicated as a means for measuring sustained effort over time ( Maatsch et al., 1954 ; Treadway et al., 2009 ). We also wanted to examine the possibility of individual differences in physical effort in the presence of a competitor, and the possibility of gender differences in the saliency of social motivation.

Participants

One hundred and twenty-nine undergraduates from Rutgers University’s Newark campus participated in the study, which was approved by the Rutgers IRB. Participants received course credit for their participation, and were told upon arriving they would be eligible to earn $1–3 in bonus money in addition to course credit. Participants entered the lab and were introduced to a fellow “participant” they would later be interacting with—a same or opposite sex confederate. After obtaining written informed consent from the participant, the experimenter brought the confederate into a testing room and waited for about 5 min, the expected time for the confederate to complete the practice session of the task. Participants then completed a practice version of the task, the actual task, and a battery of surveys, including demographic information. After completing the surveys, participants were probed about whether or not they believed they were actually competing against another individual and if they believed the confederate was a real participant. Then, participants were debriefed about the confederate and real purpose of the task. Seven participants were removed for not believing the manipulation, and two participants were removed for failing to complete the task in its entirety. Analyses were thus performed on the remaining 120 participants.

Effort Bar Task

Participants completed an effort bar task in the form of a computerized carnival water gun game. Participants saw a fixation cross with a 3–7 s jitter, then were required to press the “x” key to move the effort bar (in this case, in the form of a “water tube”). If participants pressed the “x” key before the water tube appeared, the jitter reset. Participants were required to press between a randomly generated requirement of 5 and 30 times to fill the effort bar in order to win the trial. Participants had to press at an average rate of 150 ms to fill the tube with water in time to win the round, with an extra 350 ms to account for the expected first press time. This time amount was decided due to the results of a pilot study that found that participants had an average first press of 350 ms and press rate (excluding the first press) of one press per 150 ms. Titrating the task at this rate led to the expectation that participants would win an average of 50% of trials. We analyzed participants’ first press RTs as a measure of their attention to the task ( Eason et al., 1969 ; Stuss et al., 1989 ; Prinzmetal et al., 2005 ), as well as their sustained press rate over the span of the task, which provided us a measure of sustained effort ( Maatsch et al., 1954 ; Treadway et al., 2009 ).

“Self” condition

In the “self” condition, participants were told they were playing against the clock, and that if they could win 2/3 of the games (trials) played in this round, they would be granted $1 in addition to their course credit. There were 100 trials per condition (200 trials total). Participants were given immediate feedback after each trial as to whether they won, and were immediately told at the end of each self and each competition condition if they won the bonus money. Conditions were counterbalanced across participants to prevent order effects.

“Competition” condition

In the competition condition, participants were told they were playing against the other “participant” they met earlier (again, a confederate), and would be granted an additional $1 if they could beat their competitor in more of the games. At the end of each game, they were told whether they or the other player won the game, and were told who won the bonus at the end of each self and each competition condition. If participants won 2/3 of the games in a particular condition, they were granted the bonus. Each participant completed both conditions, and conditions were counterbalanced across participants to account for possible order effects. Task depiction is illustrated in Figure Figure1 1 .

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Experiment 1 task depiction. Participants saw a preparation screen (Slide 1) for 2 s, then a fixation jittered for 1.5–3 s (Slide 2). Participants pressed the x key repeatedly when they saw the effort bar appear; time was varied by the number of required presses (Slide 3). Participants were told if they filled the effort bar in time (Slide 4) and were given feedback regarding their performance (Slide 5).

We administered several surveys to investigate potential individual differences and their relationship to task performance.

Hypercompetitive Attitude Scale (HAS)

The HAS examines individual differences in general hypercompetitive attitude ( Ryckman et al., 1990 ). The HAS asks participants to reflect on habits and traits that may be associated with a competitive personality (e.g., “I can’t stand to lose an argument.”).

Personal Development Competitive Attitude Scale (PDCAS)

The PDCAS examines if individuals regard competition as a means of improving personal development ( Ryckman et al., 1996 ) The PDCAS reflects on preference for situations in which competition may improve their performance (e.g., “I enjoy competition because it gives me a chance to discover my abilities.”).

Marlow-Crowne Social Desirability Scale (SDS)

We included the SDS ( Crowne and Marlowe, 1960 ) to measure possible bias in responding, whether it be because participants have unrealistic representations of their own traits, or because of a desire to please the experimenter. This questionnaire examines the extent to which a subject may positively skew their survey responses to represent themselves in a positive manner, and requires a “true or false” response to items such as “I am always courteous, even to people who are disagreeable.” The SDS has been previously used to detect the tendency of participants to have unrealistically positive representations of their own traits ( Zerbe and Paulhus, 1987 ; Paulhus, 1991 ; DiMenichi and Richmond, 2015 ). Because Ryckman et al. (1990) found that HAS was also correlated with high aggression, we were unsure whether participants would be likely to admit the extent of their competitive natures. Furthermore, research has yet to examine whether or not individuals view competition as a negative personality trait, and a correlation with the HAS and SDS would suggest this.

Main analyses

A within-subjects t -test examined differences between the first-press RTs in the self condition and the first-press RTs in competition condition. A within-subjects t -test also examined differences between the sustained press-rates in the self condition and the sustained press-rates in the competition condition.

Individual differences analyses

Pearson correlations examined the relationship between trait competitive tendencies (HAS and PDCAS), first-press RTs, and sustained press-rates from the competition condition and the self condition. Pearson correlations also examined relationships between survey scores and scores on the SDS in order to examine possible biases in participants’ responding, as well as if competitive habits are viewed as a socially-negative trait. We used a Bonferroni corrected significance threshold of p = 0.017 (0.05/3 scales) and interpreted correlations with p -values between 0.018 and 0.05 with caution.

Gender differences analyses

Between-subjects t -tests examined gender differences in performance and on the survey measures (HAS, PDCAS, and SDS) used in our experiment. Two-way analyses of variance (ANOVAs) also examined the effects of the factors gender and confederate gender on competitive first-press RT (first-press RT in the competition condition minus the first-press RT in the self condition) and competitive press rate (press rate in the competition condition minus the press rate in the self condition). Within-subject t -tests for each group individually also examined differences in performance across conditions (30 participants per group).

Results and Discussion

A paired-samples t -test revealed that participants’ first presses—i.e., immediate RTs on the task—were significantly faster in the competition condition ( M = 339.43 ms, SD = 72.96) than in the self condition [ M = 352.89, SD = 86.84; t (119) = –2.62, p = 0.010, Cohen’s d = 0.24], suggesting that participants demonstrated greater attentional focus on the task when they believed they were competing against another participant (Figure (Figure2). 2 ). There were no other significant findings regarding press rate, score, and condition, suggesting that competition affected attentional focus on the task, but not sustained physical effort over time.

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Results from Experiment 1. Participants’ first press reaction times (RTs) were significantly faster in the competition condition than the self condition. Error bars reflect standard errors of the means. *Significant at p < 0 .05.

Scores on the SDS were significantly negatively correlated with scores on the HAS ( r = –0.367, p < 0.001), suggesting that overt competition may be implicitly viewed as a negative personal quality by most individuals. There was no significant relationship between scores on the SDS and scores on the PDCAS, suggesting that the PDCAS may be immune to participants’ tendencies to paint themselves in a positively-skewed manner. Scores on the PDCAS were significantly correlated with faster RTs of the first press in competition condition ( r = –0.239, p = 0.008), suggesting that individuals who view competition as a means for personal development may have greater attentional focus in the presence of a competitor. However, there was no significant relationship between scores on the PDCAS and first press RT in the self condition, which is consistent with the idea that competitive personality traits should not affect performance in an environment with no competition.

Men also scored significantly higher on the PDCAS ( M = 51.59, SD = 9.65) than women [ M = 46.62, SD = 11.68; t (118) = 2.53, p = 0.012, Cohen’s d = 0.46], suggesting that men may view competition as a greater motivation for improving skills pertaining to personal development. Additionally, male participants demonstrated significantly faster first press RTs in the competition condition than female participants’ first press RTs in the competition condition [male M = 323.23, SD = 71.44; female M = 335.09, SD = 71.53; t (118) = –2.44, p = 0.016, Cohen’s d = 0.17] Furthermore, male participants also had faster sustained press rates in the competition condition ( M = 128.36, SD = 16.01) when compared to females participants’ press rates in the competition condition [ M = 138.26, SD = 11.98; t (118) = –3.84, p < 0.001, Cohen’s d = 0.70]. However, there were no significant gender differences involving first press RT in the self condition or press rate in the self condition. Furthermore, when examining male participants’ sustained press rate performance, there was no significant difference between press rate in the competition and self conditions. See Figure Figure3 3 for gender difference results across conditions. A two-way ANOVA with the factors participant gender and confederate gender did not reveal a significant main effect of confederate gender [ F (3) = 0.48, p = 0.695] or interaction of gender by confederate gender [ F (42) = 0.63, p = 0.825 Cohen’s d = 0.08] on competitive first-press RTs. Also, a two-way ANOVA with the factors participant gender and confederate gender did not reveal a significant main effect of confederate gender [ F (3) = 0.75, p = 0.528] or interaction of gender by confederate gender [ F (42) = 1.25, p = 0.209, Cohen’s d = 0.10] on competitive press rate. Overall, these findings suggest that men were significantly more socially motivated in the presence of another competitor, at least in terms of attention in a physical effort task.

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Gender differences from Experiment 1. Males had significantly faster first press reaction times and significantly faster press rates in the competition condition compared to female’s first press reaction times and press rates in the competition condition. However, there was no significant gender difference in the self condition. Error bars reflect standard errors of the means.

Our findings from Experiment 1 suggest that competition had an effect on participants’ attention to our task. We did not find a significant relationship between competition and sustained physical effort in our task, suggesting that competition may have a more cloudy relationship with physical effort than our task was able to provide. Furthermore, our results suggest that there are predictable individual differences in competition’s influence on attention, although reflection on these individual differences may be vulnerable to a bias of individuals to paint themselves in an overly positive light, whether implicitly or explicitly (e.g., due to task-demand characteristics or the presence of an experimenter). Also, our findings show that men’s attention on a physical effort task may be more influenced by the presence of a competitor than women’s.

Experiment 2

Because Experiment 1 found that competition increased attention, Experiment 2 examined whether the presence of a competitor enhanced working memory as well as memory retention, mechanisms that both rely heavily on attention. Specifically, we examined whether competition would inspire greater performance on a memory task and, if so, what mechanisms are responsible.

One hundred and twenty-four undergraduates from Rutgers University’s Newark campus participated in the study, which was approved by the Rutgers IRB. Participants received course credit for their participation, and were told upon arriving they would be eligible to earn $1–3 in bonus money in addition to course credit. Experiment 2 followed the same laboratory format as Experiment 1: upon entering the lab, participants were introduced to another “participant” they would later be interacting with—a same or opposite sex confederate. After obtaining written informed consent from the participant, the experimenter brought the confederate into a testing room and waited for about 5 min, the expected time for the confederate to complete the practice session of the task. Participants then completed a practice version of the task, the actual task, a surprise recall task, and a battery of surveys, including demographic information. After completing the surveys, participants were probed for task believability and debriefed about the confederate and real purpose of the task. Four participants were removed from the sample for not believing that the confederate was a participant. Analyses were performed on the remaining 120 participants (60 females).

Working Memory Task

Our working memory task was adapted from ( Redick et al., 2012 ). Participants decided if a matrix was symmetrical or not, and then were presented with a line drawing of an abnormal shape, along with a number (1 through 3). See Figure Figure4 4 for task depiction. They were asked to memorize the association between the shape and the number. Novel shapes were taken from Endo et al.’s (2001) Novel Shape database. After three different matrices and shapes were shown, participants were shown a recall screen with the shapes from the trial, and asked to recall the numbers associated with the shapes they were just shown. Each condition contained 12 rounds with 18 novel shapes randomly assigned to each condition, and each round was shown twice because of a later recall task. Each participant completed both conditions, and shapes in the “self” condition were not repeated in the “competition” condition (and vice versa ). Conditions were counterbalanced across participants to prevent order effects, and shapes in each condition were counterbalanced across participants, in case shapes in one condition were somehow more difficult than shapes in another condition.

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Experiment 2 task depiction. (A) Participants were shown a matrix for 2 s (Slide 1) and asked to decide if the shape was symmetrical (Slide 2). Participants were then shown a novel shape paired with a number (1, 2, or 3) for 2 s, and were asked to memorize this association (Slide 3). After three rounds (of Slides 1–3), participants were asked to recall the numbers associated with the shapes. (B) Subjects were given immediate feedback for 6 s regarding their performance on the previous round. In the self condition (left), subjects were informed about how many shapes they recalled correctly. After a 2 s delay, they also saw the number of symmetry errors they made on this trial, and the total percentage of symmetry problems answered correctly throughout the condition (top right corner—subjects were required to answer at least 85% of symmetry problems correctly in order to receive the monetary bonus). In the competition condition (right), subjects were also given feedback about the number of shapes their “opponent” remembered correctly—a randomly generated number from 0 to 3. After a 2 s delay, they were also given feedback about their symmetry performance.

In the self condition, participants were given feedback about their performance directly after the recall screen: they were told how many shapes they recalled correctly out of three, as well as how many symmetry problems they answered correctly. They were also given the running total percentage of correct symmetry problems for the entire condition. Participants viewed feedback for 6 s after each round, and were told that if they could remember a total average of 2/3 shapes across all rounds for this condition, they would be given a $1 bonus in addition to their course credit. They were also told that in order to receive the bonus, they were required to complete the task with a symmetry matrix accuracy of at least 85%. Inclusion of the symmetry task also allowed us to examine if effort on the task varied across conditions, since this section of the task did not have a memory component.

In the competition condition, after each recall screen, participants were given feedback about how many shapes they correctly recalled out of three, as well as feedback about their “competitor’s” performance. Competitor performance was randomly generated out of 3, and averaged out to be 2/3 across the entire condition, making the task goal equivalent across both the self and competition conditions. After a 2 s delay, participants were also given feedback about symmetry matrices errors for the round. This delay was issued in order to present the same amount of information across conditions, therefore making cognitive load on working memory more equal across conditions. Total recall viewing time was 6 s after each round. Participants were told if they could recall more associations than the other participant on the most rounds—as well have a symmetry matrix accuracy of at least 85%—they would get a $1 bonus at the end of the condition. Condition feedback is depicted in Figure Figure1B 1B .

Recall task

In a surprise recall task that followed the working memory task, participants were again asked to recall each number associated with each shape. Shape order was randomized to prevent order effects.

A within-subjects t -test examined differences between the number of shapes remembered in the self condition and the number of shapes remembered in competition condition of the working memory task. A within-subjects t -test also examined whether there were differences in subsequent memory between the two conditions, i.e., whether there were differences between the number of shapes originally learned in the self condition and the number of shapes originally learned in the competition condition that were correctly recalled on the surprise recall posttest. To compare any differences in immediate attention across conditions, a within-subjects t -test examined RT to the first symmetry problem between the two conditions. We also subtracted each participant’s total number of shapes remembered during the self condition of the working memory task from their total number of shapes remembered during the competition condition of the working memory task, and deemed this score each participant’s “competitive performance score.” A positive number would indicate better performance on the competition condition of our task. We also repeated the process for post-test scores. A linear regression examined if competitive performance scores predicted competitive recall scores, in order to examine if recall scores on the post-test were the result of learning during the working memory task. If there was no significant relationship between competitive performance scores and competitive recall scores, we would assume that competition increased effort on our task, but not immediate long-term memory. Self scores were subtracted from competition scores in order to account for general memory ability on the task.

Pearson correlations (Bonferroni corrected for multiple comparisons, α = 0.017) examined the relationship between trait competitive tendencies (HAS and PDCAS) and working memory scores from the competition condition and self condition, as well as recall scores. Pearson correlations also examined relationships between survey scores and scores on the SDS in order to examine possible biases in participants’ responding, as well as if competitive habits are viewed as a socially-negative trait. A partial Pearson correlation also examined relationships between trait competitive tendencies and performance while controlling for scores on the SDS.

Between-subjects t -tests examined gender differences in performance, recall, and on the survey measures (HAS, PDCAS, and SDS) used in our experiment. Two-way ANOVAs also examined the effect of the factors gender and confederate gender on competitive performance and competitive recall scores. Furthermore, within-subject t -tests for each group individually examined differences in performance across conditions (30 participants per group). Partial Pearson correlations controlling for SDS also examined the relationship between trait competitive tendencies (HAS and PDCAS) and working memory scores from the competition condition, self condition, and recall conditions in order to examine if the presence of a same- or opposite-sex confederate is salient enough to override state tendencies.

A paired-samples t -test revealed that participants performed significantly better in the self condition ( M = 28.78, SD = 6.87) than the competition condition [ M = 26.72, SD = 6.24; t (119) = 3.85, p < 0.001, Cohen’s d = 0.31] during the working memory task. There was no significant difference between symmetry error rates across conditions, as well as no significant difference in RT to the first symmetry problem across conditions, suggesting that competition did not affect participants’ expended effort on the task, but specifically affected working memory performance. Furthermore, a paired-samples t -test revealed that participants later recalled more shapes on the post-test learned in the self condition ( M = 10.61, SD = 4.40) than in the competition condition [ M = 8.76, SD = 3.34; t (119) = 4.06, p < 0.001, Cohen’s d = 0.37]. A linear regression revealed that competitive performance scores significantly predicted competitive recall scores [β = 0.25, t (119) = 3.34, p = 0.005], and competitive performance scores also explained a significant proportion of variance in competitive recall post-test scores [ R 2 = 0.09, F (1,118) = 11.15, p = 0.001], suggesting that recall scores on the post-test were the result of learning during the working memory task. If there was not a significant relationship between competitive performance scores and competitive recall scores, we would assume that competition increased effort on our task, but not immediate long-term memory.

A Pearson correlation on our survey data revealed a marginally significantly positive association between scores on the PDCAS and performance in the competition condition ( r = 0.17, p = 0.061), but not in the self condition. Because scores on the SDS were again relatively high in our sample—participants answered an average of 55.25% of questions in a “socially desirable” manner—we conducted a partial correlation that revealed that, when controlling for SDS, PDCAS scores were marginally significantly associated with performance during the competition condition ( r = 0.18, p = 0.048). However, after adjusting for multiple comparisons, this finding was no longer significant.

As predicted, SDS scores were again significantly negatively correlated with scores on the HAS ( r = –0.367, p < 0.001), replicating our findings from Experiment 1 and again suggesting that our participants’ self-reflections of their own competitive habits may be skewed. Since HAS contains questions pertaining to direct competitive tendencies, overt competitiveness may be considered a negative personality trait by most individuals. Furthermore, although HAS scores were significantly associated with PDCAS scores ( r = 0.304, p < 0.001), PDCAS scores were not significantly associated with SDS scores, again suggesting that competition as a means for personal development may be viewed more positively than overt competitive behavior and beliefs.

Although the men in our sample again scored significantly higher on the PDCAS ( M = 56.03, SD = 13.26) than women [ M = 49.27, SD = 14.76; t (118) = 2.87, p = 0.005, Cohen’s d = 0.48], there were no significant differences regarding gender and task performance or recall. We also examined the results with respect to the gender of the confederates. A two-way ANOVA with the factors participant gender and confederate gender did not reveal a significant main effect of confederate gender [ F (3) = 1.48, p = 0.229] or an interaction of gender by confederate gender [ F (42) = 1.09, p = 0.735, Cohen’s d = 0.36] on competitive performance scores, nor did a two-way ANOVA with the factors participant gender and confederate gender reveal a significant main effect of confederate gender [ F (3) = 2.28, p = 0.088] or an interaction of gender by confederate gender [ F (42) = 1.73, p = 0.066, Cohen’s d = 0.45] on competitive recall scores. Furthermore, pair-wise t -tests revealed that neither men nor women who competed against male confederates showed any significant difference in self vs. competitive performance. Yet, male participants who competed against female confederates performed significantly worse [ t (29) = 3.54, p = 0.001, Cohen’s d = 0.65] and female participants who competed against female confederates performed marginally significantly worse [females: t (29) = 1.91, p = 0.066, Cohen’s d = 0.35] while they believed they were competing than when they were not competing. Furthermore, both male and females participants who competed against female confederates later recalled significantly fewer shapes learned in the competition condition [males: t (29) = 3.38, p = 0.002, Cohen’s d = 0.62; females: t (29) = 3.00, p = 0.006, Cohen’s d = 0.55]. All groups contained equal n ’s of 30 participants in each group. Although one could suggest that a significant difference among participants who believed they were competing against females may have resulted because these participants were exerting less effort against female competitors, there were no significant group differences regarding symmetry errors, suggesting that effort on the task was equal across groups, while memory on the task was hindered in those participants who faced female competitors. Details regarding group differences are depicted in Figure Figure5 5 .

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Results of Experiment 2. (A) Participants remembered significantly more shapes during the task in the “self” condition than the “competition” condition. (B) Participants later recalled more shapes learned in the “self” condition than the “competition” condition. (C) “Competitive performance scores” (score on “self” condition subtracted from score on “competition” condition) significantly predicted “competitive recall scores” (shapes from the “self” condition successfully recalled on the post-test subtracted from shapes from the “competition” condition successfully recalled), suggesting that our working memory task produced significant immediate long-term learning. In this graph, a positive score signifies more competitive score. Error bars reflect standard errors of the means.

When controlling for social desirability bias, scores on the PDCAS were significantly positively correlated with performance in the competition condition (but not the self condition) for female participants who believed they were competing against female confederates ( r = 0.49, p = 0.009). This suggests that the more these participants viewed competition as a way to improve their skills, the better they performed in a competitive environment. However, given the small sample of female participants who competed against female confederates ( n = 30), this finding may be very speculative. Furthermore, although one would then expect the PDCAS to be correlated with the number of shapes recalled from the competition condition, this finding was not significant. However, competitive performance scores (score during self condition subtracted from the score during the competition condition) did not predict competitive recall scores for females who believed they were competing against other females, suggesting that, although competition may increase performance for individuals who prefer competition as a means of improving performance, competitive performance does not very often translate to an increase in immediate long-term memory.

Overall, our results suggest that competition hindered working memory performance and immediate long-term memory for most groups in our task. The finding that competition may hinder memory is surprising; one explanation for this finding could be that the presence of a competitor could invoke high anxiety among participants, and high levels of anxiety have been shown to decrease working ( Darke, 1988 ; Ashcraft and Kirk, 2001 ; Miller and Bichsel, 2004 ) and long-term memory ( Rosenfeld, 1978 ; Cassady, 2004 ; Miller and Bichsel, 2004 ). Specifically, research has found that adolescents raised in high normative goal environments report the highest rates of competitive anxiety ( White, 1998 ), which may lead to decrements in performance.

Perhaps even more unanticipated is that the finding that the presence of a female competitor, but not a male, was most likely to hinder performance on our memory task. An alternative explanation for this finding would be that participants exerted less effort on the task because of the presence of a female competitor. However, because there was no significant difference involving gender, competition condition, and symmetry errors, these results suggest that the presence of a female competitor is more likely to be hindering processes involved in working memory—and subsequently, the processes necessary for encoding, as evident by the results of our recall task. Furthermore, we found significant differences between conditions for participants who believed they were competing against female confederates, but there was no significant interaction of gender by confederate gender. This may suggest that all participants may have reduced performance in the competition condition in a similar fashion (see Figure Figure6), 6 ), and therefore not produced an interaction of gender by confederate gender.

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Gender differences in Experiment 2. Male and female participants performed worse in and recalled fewer shapes at post-test when they believed they were competing against female competitors. There were no significant differences for participants who believed they were competing again male competitors. Error bars reflect standard errors of the means.

Moreover, disparities in subjective reward could affect the memory processes required for learning, such as attention: succeeding in a competitive learning environment could feel subjectively more rewarding than succeeding in an individualist learning environment, and therefore distract participants’ attention, thereby disrupting working and long-term memory.

General Discussion

Competition, attention, and memory.

Our results support the notion that a competitive environment can affect memory and effort. In Experiment 1, we examined the effect of competition on attention and effort; we found that the presence of a competitor increased attention on a physical effort task. However, we did not find that competition increased sustained effort on our task—just as competition did not affect the effort portion of Experiment 2 (symmetry matrices). This result could have occurred for a number of reasons: first, since RTs tend to be viewed as an implicit marker of motivation ( Glaser and Knowles, 2008 ), perhaps competition affects effort on an implicit, rather than explicit, level, especially since our survey results suggest that participants tend to view overt competitive behavior as a negative trait. Second, perhaps competition is only salient enough to increase immediate attention in a laboratory setting, and not sustained physical effort on a task over time. More likely, however, competition may only affect performance on a physical effort task in an environment where competitors compete side-by-side, which did not occur in our task. Furthermore, Kilduff (2014) has found that competition tends to increase physical effort on a gross physical effort task (i.e., running a race). Nonetheless, the finding that competition may increase attention has crucial real-world applications for education and the workplace.

In Experiment 2, we examined the effects of the presence of a competitor on memory. Participants in our sample performed best on our working memory task in a non-competitive environment, and also learned more in a non-competitive environment, as demonstrated by their performance on a later recall test. These results could have occurred for a number of reasons. First, competition could be viewed as an anxiety-provoking threat for most participants: previous research has suggested that high levels of anxiety could have a negative effect on both working memory ability ( Darke, 1988 ; Ashcraft and Kirk, 2001 ; Miller and Bichsel, 2004 ; Owens et al., 2012 ) and on learning ( Rosenfeld, 1978 ; Cassady, 2004 ; Miller and Bichsel, 2004 ; Einsel and Turk, 2011 ). We would expect that, if participants viewed their competitor as a threat, this would indeed hinder performance, as was seen in our results. These findings were even stronger in our results regarding recall, suggesting that for most individuals, competition actually hinders memory. Furthermore, our sample consisted of students already at the undergraduate level of education, who may already be acclimated to cooperating with other students in academic settings (as opposed to competing). Since our sample consisted of U.S. undergraduate students—as opposed to students from a country such as Japan, in which competitive learning environments are common ( Heine et al., 2001 )—perhaps our participants were not adjusted to learning in a competitive environment. Competitive learning environments may have led to improvements in countries which have taught this way from an early age, suggesting that a competitive learning environment may be too novel for someone already at a higher level of education ( Sanders, 1987 ; Smith, 1992 ).

Although competition improved initial RT in Experiment 1, the presence of a competitor hindered both working memory and immediate long-term memory in Experiment 2. Since attention is likely to increase both working memory ( Awh et al., 2006 ; Berryhill et al., 2011 ) and learning ( Nissen and Bullemer, 1987 ; Cohen et al., 1990 ; Gottlieb, 2012 ), why did this finding occur? It is possible that the difficulty of the task was responsible for this paradox: Experiment 1 featured a simple, button press task that required minimal effort. However, the multi-faceted task from Experiment 2 required more effort to succeed, and since greater emotional arousal may hinder performance and motivation on a very difficult task ( Yerkes and Dodson, 1908 ; Watters et al., 1997 ; Diamond et al., 2007 ), it may be that the presence of a competitor was anxiety-provoking enough to hinder working memory performance and immediate long-term memory. In fact, previous research has found that RT tends to be faster after an increase in arousal, whereas executive tasks such as those necessary for successful working memory tend to benefit from a decrease in arousal ( Luft et al., 2009 ). Furthermore, since competitive performance scores significantly predicted competitive recall scores, it may be that anxiety affected memory at the encoding phase—as opposed to affecting retention or retrieval.

An alternative explanation lies in the reward literature, as previous research has found that receiving rewards for a task can sometimes hinder performance, learning, and memory ( Spence, 1970 ; McGraw and McCullers, 1974 ; Mobbs et al., 2009 ; Chib et al., 2012 ). Perhaps succeeding in a competitive learning environment was subjectively more rewarding than succeeding in an individualist setting, despite objective rewards remaining the same across conditions. If succeeding in a competitive learning environment is subjectively more rewarding than succeeding in an individualist setting, competition may be more likely to distract participants—similarly to “choking under pressure” ( Baumeister, 1984 ; Beilock and Carr, 2001 , 2005 ; Ramirez et al., 2013 ). This explanation may be why competition negatively affecting working memory and immediate long-term memory on our task. There also may individual differences in preferences for competitive learning environments. In future research, it would be valuable to discern participants’ preference for the competition condition, as this information may provide insight as to the possible distractibility of competition and memory.

Individual and Gender Differences

In Experiment 1, we found that the PDCAS predicted how competitive an individual was at an effort bar task. In Experiment 2, the PDCAS predicted how competitive an individual was in a memory task, although this finding did not remain significant after correcting for multiple comparisons. Competitiveness in a learning setting is likely to be contingent on more factors than can be grasped from one survey measure. Furthermore, we found that men scored significantly higher on the PDCAS, suggesting that men may value competition as a means for improving personal development more than women. Men also exhibited a more competitive performance in our physical effort task in Experiment 1, in line with recent research that suggests men tend to both prefer and perform better in competitive physical environments more so than women ( Gneezy et al., 2009 ; Niederle and Vesterlund, 2011 ). However, men did not outperform women in our repeated memory task in Experiment 2. Competition may affect performance on memory tasks differently than competition traditionally affects effort and attention. Furthermore, since previous studies [such as Gneezy et al. (2009) ] have typically utilized effort tasks to compare preference for competitive environments, future research studies may want to further examine gender differences in preference for competition in memory tasks specifically, since these are typically utilized in educational settings.

We also found high rates of social desirability in our sample, which was negatively correlated with the HAS—but not the PDCAS—suggesting that the PDCAS may be a superior survey measure when tapping an individual’s true trait competitive habits and preferences. Furthermore, because the HAS contains blatant questions regarding competition, its negative correlation with social desirability may suggest that competition may be viewed as a negative personality trait by most individuals.

In Experiment 2, we found significant differences in performance on a memory task when a participant believed they were competing against a female participant. However, this result was not the case in Experiment 1 in a physical effort task. Although some research has found that females tend to excel at tasks involving episodic memory ( Herlitz et al., 1997 ; Davis, 1999 ) and object identification memory tasks ( Voyer et al., 2007 ), which were strong skills necessary to succeed at the type of task used in Experiment 2, whether this gender advantage was known by our participants remains unknown. Research suggests that increased attention drawn to one’s own performance can result in performance decrements or “choking under pressure” ( Baumeister, 1984 ; Beilock and Carr, 2001 , 2005 ; Ramirez et al., 2013 ), so the presence of a female competitor may increase pressure in a learning environment if participants have had previous experience with an object identification memory tasks and a female rivals, such as in a classroom learning setting. Yet, it is unclear whether the performance differences we found among participants who believed they were competing against female competitors were due to increased pressure due to the presence of a female competitor, or the opposite view: that females did not appear to be strong opponents in a learning setting, so they did not cause their competitors to devote more attentional resources to the task. However, although we found significant differences between conditions for participants who believed they were competing against female confederates, there was no significant interaction of gender by confederate gender, suggesting that all participants may have reduced performance in the competition condition.

Limitations

It may be difficult to generalize our experiment to competition and memory in a real-world sense. Our task in Experiment 1 examined how social motivation’s effect on a simple physical effort task, but competition may affect gross physical effort (e.g., running, team sports, etc.) on a more complex level. Additionally, our task from Experiment 2 was a specific, short memory task that did not offer any realistic long-term gains. Future research should include a longer period before administering a recall task, as a longer delay before recall would more realistically illustrate how learning occurs in a classroom setting. Furthermore, although individual preferences in competition were obtained, individual differences in intrinsic vs. extrinsic reward preference were not accounted for, and an additional sum of a few dollars may not have been enough motivation for some individuals to increase performance. Future research should examine how competition may influence long-term memory in a true educational setting.

Because our study examined the effect of competition on memory in two tasks that also featured gains and losses, our findings may have been driven by the effect of gains and losses on attention and performance, moderated by the saliency of a competitor. Since previous research has suggested that losses can increase both attention and performance ( Yechiam and Hochman, 2013 ), future research studies should attempt to distinguish whether or not competition merely moderates this affect, especially since most competitive learning environments incorporate some type of gains and losses, such as in educational settings.

In sum, our research suggests that social motivation—specifically, competition—can have strong effects on attention and memory, although significant individual and gender differences exist. Competition in a physical effort setting may increase attention, while the presence of a competitor may have detrimental effects on memory and performance. These findings present strong implications for education, the workplace, and other real-world settings involving social interaction.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Zana J Hanini, Joe Melon, and Tanasia Hall for their help as experimenters. We would also like to thank Holly Sullivan Toole with design of the effort bar task, and James Bradley, Frank Nick, Ahmet Ceceli, Christina Bejjani, Samantha DePasque Swanson, Jamil Bhanji, Onaisa Rizki, Kiranmayee Kurimella, and Stuti Prajapati for their help as confederates. This work was supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation (BCS 1150708) awarded to ET.

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Competition Leads To Success Essay Examples

Competition Leads To Success - Free Essay Examples and Topic Ideas

Competition leads to success because it creates a sense of urgency and motivation to improve oneself. When individuals or teams compete against each other, they push themselves to work harder, smarter, and faster to achieve their goals. This not only helps them to improve their skills and performance but also enables them to learn from their mistakes and adapt to changing situations. Ultimately, competition helps to bring out the best in people and drives them towards success.

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Apr 22, 2016

Competition Leads to Progress Essay

Progress is possible when you are not afraid of competition. Each and every person is unique, no doubt in that, but he/she may have more or better qualities than you.

If you want to reach your goal, make sure that you are perfect in it because there are thousands of people out there (keeping in mind India’s population) who want the same goal and who will go out of their way to reach their goal. Here is where competition steps in; many people are scared of it, many people are against it but many people don’t know the importance of it.

Competition makes your goal a living thing; it ignites that fire within you to make your dream possible. Many people dream a new dream every day or hold on to their old dream but the reason why they don’t succeed is because the lack of better preparation for competition. For example, if a writer knows that there are 80 people out there dreaming the same dream, then he will try to perfect his skill in writing, increase his vocabulary and will do all other things to make himself perfect. This is called preparing for competition in a right way, but, when a person knows the competition but tries to excel in it through unlawful means then that competition becomes unworthy for him and even though it results in progress, it’s not worth the success.

I am talking about a healthy competition but not of that which involves cheating and murder. Economics taught us that human wants are unlimited. So beware, don’t let the fire within you burn the goodwill of others.

A healthy competition leads to progress. Progress as in: increase in ones skill, increase in employment capability which in turn results in increase in earning capacity. When competing is treated as a healthy one, it results in national progress. Think of Olympic Games because it is the result of competition that has made our countries name rise in most of the sports.

Apart from games, the place where competition is mostly present is, during exams. When you are competing among thousands of individual, you are merely testing your knowledge and you also get to know where you stand in the crowd.

This is the main purpose of exam, to merely test your knowledge in a competitive way. I think students should know this particular point “Competition is just a part of life and not life itself”. Sometimes the hunger for success makes your values famished.

When a company needs skilled employees, they conduct interviews which comprises of numerous rounds which is nothing but a competition. It’s a competition for you to have a bright chance to work in the company and a competition for the company to extract the right skilled people from the crowd.

Now, those people who are not competitive enough or those who don’t stand a chance in the competition, it is an experience for them to know about their flaws and learn from them. Competition is a boon to mankind which leads to progress, progress for him and progress for his country.

The main purpose of it is to improvise you in your particular field through the input of competition, when this is done, that particular skill is improved which results in progress within yourself and also progress to the country.

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This is how competition affects your brain, motivation, and productivity

Competition can increase motivation, improve productivity and performance, and provide accountability and validation. Here’s how you can use competition to boost your team’s performance.

[Photo: Flickr user tableatny ]

BY Lisa Evans 3 minute read

You want to boost sales this quarter, so you launch a competition among your sales team. The person who can get the most sales this quarter will win a free weekend getaway! All the salespeople scramble to get their strategy in place, they call on their clients, sales go through the roof, and the competition heats up.

“Competition at its base is what has driven us as a species to survive. It drives biological and psychological evolution,” says Craig Dike, clinical psychologist and assistant clinical director of Doctor on Demand. Competition can be a form of extrinsic motivation, such as the weekend getaway prize, doing something because of the promise of an external reward; or it can be a form of intrinsic motivation, an achievement of a personal goal.

Whether internal or external, competition can increase motivation, improve productivity and performance, and provide accountability and validation. Here’s how you can use competition to boost your team’s performance.

The rival effect

Simply being involved in a competition may not be enough to increase your productivity and motivation. Jillene Grover Seiver, PhD, professor of psychology, says you need a rival. In 2016, Seiver conducted a study of professional archers to demonstrate the benefits of having a rival present in a competitive sport.

Archers whose main rival was present at the event scored significantly higher than when their main competitor wasn’t present. Siever found that the very fact that the archers were in a competition wasn’t what made them perform better as much as it was the fact that someone they perceived as similar to themselves was also competing.

In a work environment, managers who place employees who are similar in skills and talents against each other in a competition may experience this same boost in motivation and performance. “When we see someone else just like us being able to complete a task and gain the recognition we seek, we up our game to achieve these outcomes for ourselves,” she says.

Small competitions are more motivating

If you want to get the most benefit from a competition, small teams may be the best way to go. A 2009 study by Stephen Garcia and Avishalom shows competition is most motivating when there are fewer players. The researchers asked students to compete a short quiz and told them the top 20% who completed it fastest and most accurately would receive $5. One group was told they were competing against 10 other students, while the other group was told they were competing with 100 other students.

The result? Participants in the smaller group completed the quiz faster than participants in the large group. When the competition is smaller, we feel our chances of coming out on top are higher, so we are more motivated to try harder.

Activating the brain’s reward centers

Winning a competition activates the reward centers in your brain and produces a rush of dopamine (the feel-good hormone) in the hypothalamus, the pleasure center of the brain. Once you experience this rush, you’re motivated to experience it again and again, leading you to want to be part of a competition.

This all works great for those who come out on top, but Seiver says people who have failed in prior competitive situations are more likely to find competition punishing and will try to avoid competition.

The brain’s reward centers can be activated simply doing a difficult task. “Stimulation and learning are helpful for brain growth and overall adaptation,” says Dike. For those who don’t enjoy competition, challenges may be a great way to experience the same brain-boosting effects of a competitive environment, without all the negative emotions that can come from competition.

Keeping competitions friendly

While a competition can be a great way to boost motivation and productivity, in a work environment, competition can have the negative effects of undermining team cohesiveness and foster negative feelings among coworkers. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have some friendly competition. Dike says you can still reap the rewards of competition (including activating the reward centers of the brain) by introducing non-work-related friendly competitions such as a potluck with anonymous voting for the best dish.

These lighthearted, unrelated to work performance competitions are a great way to inject some element of competition into the workplace without making it about work, avoiding any resentment building up between coworkers or competitors.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lisa Evans is a freelance writer from Toronto who covers topics related to mental and physical health. She strives to help readers make small changes to their daily habits that have a profound and lasting impact on their productivity and overall job satisfaction More

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