Winning is Not Enough: The Effects of Competition and Achievement Orientation on Intrinsic Interest

Abstract

Subjects were assigned to competition or no-competition groups. Competition subjects received information about their rival (establishing an expectancy for success or failure) or did not. Competition enhanced intrinsic interest for achievement-oriented individuals but undermined it for low achiever. The effects of competition also depended on the availability and valence of opponent information. An expectancy increased interest for high achievers but lowered it for low achier. Path models clarified the motivational processes mediating these effects. Both the personality characteristics of competing individuals and information about their opponents seem critical in determining intrinsic interest in this interpersonal competitive context.