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Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, Vol. 32, No. 7, 970-982 (2006)
DOI: 10.1177/0146167206287640

Ranks and Rivals: A Theory of Competition

Stephen M. Garcia

University of Michigan

Avishalom Tor

University of Haifa

Richard Gonzalez

University of Michigan

Social comparison theories typically imply a comparable degree of competition between commensurate rivals who are competing on a mutually important dimension. However, the present analysis reveals that the degree of competition between such rivals depends on their proximity to a meaningful standard. Studies 1 to 3 test the prediction that individuals become more competitive and less willing to maximize profitable joint gains when they and their commensurate rivals are highly ranked (e.g., #2 vs. #3) than when they are not (e.g., #202 vs. #203). Studies 4 to 6 then generalize these findings, showing that the degree of competition also increases in the proximity of other meaningful standards, such as the bottom of a ranking scale or a qualitative threshold in the middle of a scale. Studies 7 and 8 further examine the psychological processes underlying this phenomenon and reveal that proximity to a standard exerts a direct impact on the basic unidirectional drive upward, beyond the established effects of commensurability and dimension relevance.

Key Words: competition • social comparison • decision making • social capital • behavioral economics • choice behavior


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