Preview

Stephen M Garcia - Competitive Behavior

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
9218 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Stephen M Garcia - Competitive Behavior
Running head: Competitive Behavior

Psychology of Competition: A Social Comparison Perspective

Stephen M. Garcia1, Avishalom Tor2, and Tyrone M. Schiff1

2

University of Michigan University of Notre Dame

1

COMPETITIVE BEHAVIOR 2

Abstract

This paper proposes a new framework that distinguishes between individual and situational factors in the social comparison process that produces competitive behavior. The familiar individual factors, which naturally vary among similarly situated people, include the relevance of the performance dimension, the commensurability of rivals, and their relationship closeness to the individual. Social comparison researchers have long established that as relevance, commensurability, and closeness increase, so do social comparison concerns and competitive behavior. The more recently identified situational factors, on the other hand, are features of the social environment that affect similarly situated individuals, including proximity to a standard, social category lines, and the number of competitors. When rivals are proximate to a standard (e.g., the #1 ranking), members of different versus the same social category group, or among a few versus many competitors, social comparison concerns and competitive behavior intensify. The situational account not only uncovers an important set of variables that shape social comparison, but also offers new insights regarding the role of social comparison-based competition in organizations and other policy-relevant settings and charts fruitful directions for future social comparison research.

COMPETITIVE BEHAVIOR 3 Psychology of Competition: A Social Comparison Perspective

People commonly seek to achieve a superior position vis-à-vis others in contexts ranging from daily social situations to organizational settings and market transactions (De Botton, 2004; Festinger, 1954; Frank, 1985; Podolny, 2005; Porter, 1979). The struggle for competitive advantage is

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Case 1: Blake routinely checks the coin return slots of the vending machines that he passes. Sometimes he finds change in the coin returns.…

    • 566 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Personality Theory Paper

    • 1353 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Cherry (2010), “Erik Erickson’s theory of Psychosocial Development is one of the best-known theories of personality in psychology (Psychosocial Development in Infancy and Early Childhood, para 2). Farzaneh (2008), “Erickson’s Psychosocial Theory focuses on how society shapes and influences a person’s growing sense of ego and the quest for identity. Society is seen as a positive force that fosters the growth and development of the self. Each stage pointed out by Erickson represents a crisis in form of gradually increasing conflicts (The Different Conflicts and Stages of Life, para 8). Each stage represent a time where problems have to be resolved so one may continue to mature. If the crisis’s are dealt with in a satisfactory way their ego can move on to the next stage with competence and self-confidence. If the ego doesn’t develop in a healthy way it can lead to mental illnesses and maladjustments. Psychosocial theory focuses on human development through one’s lifespan from birth to death. This paper will explain how the Psychosocial Development Theory influences my understanding of the personalities and behaviors of people in society and the workplace, as well as, how it influences my role in society and workplace along with my interactions with others.…

    • 1353 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    In “Competition And Happiness,” by Theodore Rubin, he emphasizes that competition has evolved from being a mean of survival to strictly a corrosive comparison of ourselves in relation to others. Americans are trapped in a society where most are so fixated on elitism, that it leads them to stress over their success, progress, or self- perception relative to others. Whether it is in education, business, or socially, individuals are envious and jealous of other’s accomplishments and possessions to an extent where it leads our culture to ignore individuality. No matter if it is blatant or subterranean, a form of resentment is present, and it pushes one to be in constant competition with others. This type of mindset is what limits or even affects…

    • 1321 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Competition is a struggle over a scarce commodity (Healy, 1999, p 175), and usually leads to prejudice and discrimination. In contact situations, the dominant group is the one that come out on top of the competition. Competition can be over anything that is desired by either group, or what one group has that other wants. The dominant group serves its own interests by ending…

    • 577 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    This is attained through the feedback of others. Some individuals compare themselves in an effort to create a positive self-image. They engage in a downward comparison with others. They make their failures successes in comparison with others who performed even worse that themselves. Others engage in social comparison for a need of self-improvement. (Taylor, Lobel 1989) In order to advance or achieve success they seek an upward comparison with those individuals who are better than themselves. (Festinger…

    • 621 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Behavior and Social

    • 453 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Behavioral and social/ cognitive has different habits and ways to approach. There are several was types of habits that could be created within yourself. For example nail biting, smoking, and reading. Some habits are good and some you try to break. They could be developed in different ways and situation. A habit could be created by stress or just because you learn something new. You could obtain a habit by simply observing someone else. This is very common for children. It is easier for them to pick up a habit by observation. We as people are able to break habits. There are different processes on breaking habits. People have certain habits for certain reasons. The behavioral personality theory can determine those reasons. There are different reasons components of social/cognitive theory and there are reasons habits are formed. Develop a plan to change or eliminate your habit. There is a comparison and relationship between behavioral personality and social/cognitive theories.…

    • 453 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Leon Festinger, a psychologist, first proposed the theory of social comparison in 1954. Social comparison theory is the idea that we learn about our own abilities and attitudes by comparing ourselves to other people (Aronson, 137). He believed that we participated in this comparison process as a way of forming a standard by which we can make precise evaluations of ourselves. As an example in the beginning when you were in line and the cashier asked the person in front weather or not they would like to donate some money to the Children’s Memorial Hospital they said no. You compared yourself to that man that he wasn’t nice or generous but by saying yes to the cashier you felt better than the man in front of you.…

    • 613 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Behavior Economics

    • 362 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Considering George Foreman has no expertise on grills or fat-free cooking, one has to wonder why consumers were so influenced to buy the George Foreman Grill, in which he endorsed. Is consumer behavior really affected by celebrity endorsements? When asked in surveys, consumers claim that celebrity endorsements do not influence their buying decisions. Marketing strategist, Mark Babej, argues that responses to these surveys are unreliable “because advertisements appeal to the subconscious as well as the conscious mind” (Hubbard & O’Brien, 2012).…

    • 362 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    I went from being a kid worried about who had the best shoes, which now is something small. Now I see myself focusing on who has the better car, the better house, and more recently who is on the side of the best presidential candidate. This all seems to come very naturally and seems to just be a fact of human nature, to compare and contrast belongings. However, these things might seem ignoble and low-principled, it is still something done in today’s society. I feel as though without competition between friends, enemies, neighbors and co-workers, the fight to strive for better and be the best you can be loses its importance and we have to keep that in mind.…

    • 444 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    In team settings, individual team members generally handle conflict in five key ways as identified in an adaptation of the Thomas-Kilman Conflict Inventory (1976): Avoidance, Accommodation, Competition, Compromise, and Collaboration. All five conflict styles can be both beneficial and/or costly to individual and team success. It can also be argued that all five conflict styles may be useful to resolve conflicts under certain circumstances. Please review the five conflict styles listed below:…

    • 2018 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    * Organizations strive to achieve one main goal and that is to be productive. No business wants to go under or stay in the same position year after year not growing. One does not have to really know the definition of productive and counterproductive because the word its self say plenty. To me, productive behavior says achieve goals and completing tasks. Counterproductive says just the opposite. This paper will analyze the relationship between productive and counterproductive behavior in organizations. The paper will define productive and counterproductive behavior; describe the impact that productive and counterproductive behaviors have on the job performance and the overall performance of an organization. I will also recommend strategies to increase productive behavior and decrease counterproductive behavior in organizations.…

    • 661 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    People behave differently according to the situations and surroundings in their environment. Associated Content (2007) states that, “Persuasion, obedience, and conformity are the different kind of social influences. Persuasion works to persuade people to change their attitudes and behaviors. Obedience is the form of change in behavior when commanded by a higher authority. Conformity is when the behavior changes due to indirect social behavior”. Most situations change because of social situations and this can began at a very young age. People normally change to fit into different social sittings. Some people will say they smoke when they really do not just to fit in and not feel like an outcast. Some people will experiment with drugs because they do not want to called names or feel like they are not cool. Teenage drinking is another social influence this can be brought on by peer pressure and even a lack of parenting. In this paper we will look at an overall view of the influences and behaviors on a social level.…

    • 1163 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Competition should be encouraged in society because it allows us to progress and become more productive and efficient individuals. While some may disagree with it, competition will not stop. It is involved in every aspect of society and has helped us achieve things that were never thought possible. Competition motivates us and makes us strive for success. “These qualities have led American Society to greater societal achievements in productivity than found in less competitive societies”…

    • 1217 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Today’s marketplace is full of challenges. Virtually everyday companies are closing their doors because they were unable to compete with the ever-changing demands of their consumers and the business world itself. More and more, companies are battling external winds of change and competition to remain relevant and profitable to their stakeholders sometimes almost blindly. The advent of the information age has left businesses vulnerable to unscrupulous bloggers and other companies who seek to gain an advantage by any means necessary. Yet, while all these external demons can cause the downfall of even the most giant of companies there is a much greater threat that can lead to corporate ruin – organizational ineffectiveness.…

    • 883 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Competition can help make you grow as we. Compete one-on-one; compete against another company; compete against your own objectives – the more the competition, the potentially better product (you) because of what’s at stake… pride.…

    • 4375 Words
    • 18 Pages
    Good Essays