A. What are the differences between competition and
cooperation? Does sport not involve
both aspects?
Competition is a social process in which people receive rewards based
on how their performance (or their teams performance) compared with that of
others who are involved in the same activity or event. Objective rewards are not equally
divided-there are “winners” and “losers”
Cooperation refers to a social process in which performance is evaluated based on the collective achievements of a group that seeks a common goal, and rewards are shared among the group.
B.
Cooperation is often a better strategy when the tasks are complex,
difficult, and need people with diverse strengths or perspectives
C. Competition as a process:
Stage One: A competitive situation. There are at least two performers and a comparison standard or goal.
Stage Two: A subjective appraisal. People respond to the objective situation in
different ways (approach versus avoid).
This is influenced by traits (how much one enjoys competing), one’s
focus on winning, and on focus on improving their performance. Most serious athletes are more focused on
improving performance than simply winning.
Stage Three: The decision to compete or not. How another competitive player can impact
that decision.
Stage Four: The personal consequences you feel from
success or failure.
Question: Based on the above model why might some people consider a “tie” to be less satisfying than a “loss.” Why might a “win” in which the other team does not show up be considered less satisfying than a “loss.”
B. How does competition and cooperation affect other group
processes?
Basic group
processes:
Communication
(openness, depth, extent of involving others)
Levels of
interpersonal conflict
Levels of trust
Leadership (how
chosen and degree of reliance on leader)
Roles and parts that
people play
C.
Other considerations of “competition”
Normative comparisons: how you do relative to others
The importance of “winning”
D.
On most tasks cooperative efforts are more effective in promoting
achievement
E.
Do sports prepare people better for life? The answer depends on whether it is cooperative sports (answer is
usually “yes”) or competitive sports (answer is “it depends”). High competitive sport achievers often
achieve in other areas of life; they do not necessarily have more career
success; they do not necessarily show less deviant behavior
F.
Blending cooperation and competition