Values of hypercompetitive and personal development competitive individuals
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Updated: Aug 19, 2026

Studying Food Reward and Motivation in Humans
Published on: March 19, 2014
R M Ryckman1, C R Libby, B van den Borne
1Department of Psychology, University of Maine, USA.
Abstract:
The value systems of hypercompetitive and personal development competitive individuals were examined in a sample of university undergraduates. As expected, people higher in hypercompetitiveness and in personal development competitiveness were both more likely to endorse values related to self-contained individualism such as achievement, hedonism, and a striving for an exciting and challenging life, but only hypercompetitives endorsed the value of power and control over others. Moreover, the data indicated that people higher in personal development competitiveness were more prone to endorse values related to ensembled individualism. In particular, they strongly endorsed values associated with social concern, that is, with caring about the well-being of others and with treating them with respect and as equals, whereas hypercompetitives expressed a lack of such concern. Discussion centered on the socialization process and how it can foster the development of different competitive orientations.
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