The Emotional Edge

Competition

Volume 2 / Issue 3 / Spring 2002

Many parents ask how competition affects gifted and talented students. Should parents and teachers encourage them to compete? How does competition fit into our educational systems at a time when we hear more about cooperative groups and learning than ever before?

In a recent interview I asked a female Olympic medalist how she felt about competition. Until that point in the conversation she had been happy to discuss her experiences as a talented athlete. But it was clear that this question was unsettling to her. She had difficulty answering it and finally exclaimed, “I hate to talk about being competitive. It was a necessary evil in my sport, but I was never, never comfortable with it.” Many talented students are ambivalent about competing, and so are their parents and teachers. In studies conducted by my colleagues and me, three patterns emerge about how talented students react to competition:

The honest competitor. Some talented students readily admit (after being reassured that their discussions will be confidential) that they like competing in advanced classes and that they are proud of themselves and their work when they receive the highest grades in class. They strive to be the best and to get the best awards. For them, this is what it means to win.

The ambivalent competitor. Some talented students want the highest grades but are uncomfortable when they have to compete with friends. Yet they constantly compare and contrast their grades, scores, and work with those of their peers. They admit that they want to do better than anyone else, but they do not want to hurt their friends’ feelings by engaging in comparisons.

The personal best. Some talented students do not compare or contrast their work with anyone else’s but seek to achieve personal excellence, competing only with themselves. Their goal is to attain the highest grades and level of work that are possible for them.

Research with talented adults has shown interesting trends about the benefits of being exposed to competition of different types. It can

• teach talented students that they can fail at first but achie ve t heir goal eventually, learning to persevere in the face of obstacles and gaining increased resilience;
• help them learn to win with grace and humility;
• prepare them for real-life experiences in the future; and
• inspire them to strive for excellence.

Can competition hurt children and adults? Yes, if taken to extremes. Parents should consider delaying the exposure of young children to competition, particularly if they are very sensitive and aware of peer impressions. Some students retreat from any competitive situation, and that is when parents must address the concept to help them better understand it. But gifted students should have some exposure to competition; it is a healthy concept, and they should experience competing with grace and humility in academic and social situations. If they do not, they will be less prepared to deal with such situations later in life.
—Sally M. Reis, Ph.D.

Sally M. Reis is professor and chair of the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Connecticut, where she also serves as a principal investigator for the National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented.