The effects of competition on academic success

Much of the variability in academic success may be attributed to levels of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, social desirability, and ability (intelligence). Intrinsic motivation positively correlates with academic success, while extrinsic motivation correlates negatively. Intrinsic motivation relates to the internal state of learning for the pleasure of learning, yet students are deemed successful for meeting universal pre-set academic standards. This anomaly has received little research attention. In the current study, participants were assigned to one of three groups (self-competition, group-competition & no competition) then completed a series of tasks designed to assess social desirability (academic success) and ability. Self-competition was expected to increase intrinsic motivation and therefore overall academic success levels as measured by social desirability and intelligence. These findings will be discussed in the context of an alternative approach to academia which allows students to take pride in surpassing their own previous success.