Cooperative-Competitive Preferences and Behavioral Correlates as a Function of Sex and Age of School-Age Children

Abstract

The objectives of the study were to: (1) develop a two-factor self-report preference measure of cooperation and competition; (2) explore the relationships between cooperative and competitive preferences, locus of control, social competence (parent rating), and school behaviors (teacher rating); (3) investigate sex and grade differences on the dependent measures. Factor analysis was employed on an 85-item inventory, administered to 120 children, resulting in the two expected factors plus two other factors. Another sample of 246 fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-grade children, their parents, and teachers was obtained. Correlational analysis indicated that children's cooperative-competitive preferences were not related to behaviors rated by teachers or parents; however, children's externality was related to competitive preferences and maladaptive behaviors at school. Analyses of variance showed girls indicated significantly more cooperative preferences than boys and girls remained uniformly cooperative over the three grade levels while males declined in cooperative preferences. Findings supported traditional sex differences as in the literature.