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Investigating Pain-Related Avoidance Behavior using a Robotic Arm-Reaching Paradigm

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Assessing competition avoidance as a basic personality dimension.

Richard M Ryckman¹, Bill Thornton, Joel A Gold

¹University of Maine, Department of Psychology, Orono, ME 04469, USA. richard.ryckman@umit.maine.edu

The Journal of Psychology

|March 25, 2009

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers developed a new measure for competition avoidance, finding that individuals high in this trait exhibit increased neuroticism, fear of success/failure, and maladaptive behaviors, aligning with Horney

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Area of Science:

Psychology
Personality Theory
Clinical Psychology

Background:

The absence of a validated psychometric tool has hindered research into personality theory concerning competition avoidance.
Existing personality assessments do not adequately capture the nuances of avoiding competitive situations.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop and validate an individual-difference measure for assessing competition avoidance.
To test the measure's psychometric properties and its relationship with established psychological constructs.

Main Methods:

Conducted six empirical studies to construct and refine the competition avoidance scale.
Utilized K. Horney's (1937) interpersonal theory of neurosis as a theoretical framework.
Administered the newly developed measure to participants and analyzed correlations with neuroticism, fear of success/failure, self-handicapping, and maladaptiveness.

Main Results:

Individuals scoring higher on competition avoidance demonstrated significantly higher levels of neuroticism.
Elevated fears of both success and failure were observed in participants with high competition avoidance.
Higher competition avoidance correlated with a reduced desire to prove oneself, increased self-handicapping, greater maladaptiveness, increased modesty, and higher conformity to group standards.

Conclusions:

The newly developed measure effectively assesses individual differences in competition avoidance.
Findings support the integration of competition avoidance into personality theory, particularly within the framework of neurosis.
The measure holds potential as a valuable diagnostic and assessment tool in academic, athletic, and clinical psychology.