THE PSYCHOLOGY OF COMPETITION
• Openness to Experience (inventive/curious vs. consistent/cautious); • Conscientiousness;
• Extraversion (outgoing/energetic vs. solitary/reserved); • Agreeableness (friendly/compassionate vs. critical/rational); • Neuroticism (sensitive/nervous vs. resilient/confident)[2]. In discussing competition, two of these traits, agreeableness and neuroticism, have been shown to be the key factors in determining one’s competitive style. Highly agreeable people are characterized as being sympathetic, helpful, and cooperative, while low agreeable persons are characterized as antagonistic, skeptical, and competi- tive. (Costa and McCrae, 1995) Low agreeable individuals would be expected to adopt a conflict style in which one focuses entire- ly on the achievement of one’s own goals or winning even at the expense of others. Conversely, high agreeableness individuals do not strive to win at all costs, since they can compromise their own outcome and appreciate the rewards that others receive. Because agreeableness tends to be an interpersonal factor that is expressed when cooperation and consideration are important, its absence would be reflected in a lack of concern for the outcomes of others. The second of the Big 5 traits that is relevant to a person’s com- petitive style is neuroticism. Neuroticism is defined as emotional instability and maladjustment that is characterized by a higher level of negative emotions such as fear, anger, or sadness. People with high levels of neuroticism often have a poor image of themselves and low self-esteem. Individuals with higher levels of neuroticism are less able to control their impulses or cope with stress. A person with a high level of neuroticism will see competition as a form of conflict and perceive it as stressful when the outcomes are not what is wanted or expected. COMPETITIVE STYLES It is important to keep in mind that all personality traits exist on a spectrum, with more individuals falling in the middle and fewer and fewer people scoring at the extreme low or extreme high ends. So, most of us are in the middle. By combining these two traits, we can define five different possible competitive styles:
Results from Openpsychometics Big 5 Personality Test
for intimidation as well as many other very “childish” behaviors. Unfortunately, psychology has shown that people whose personal- ity type features a high level of narcissism are unlikely to read this article or see anything wrong with themselves. This being the case, the best strategy is to avoid them. Don’t stoop to their level or engage them, since it isn’t going to change them anyway. OBJECTIVE SELF-EVALUATION In my study of psychology, I have learned that most individu- als lack the capacity for objectivity regarding their own appraisal of self. The best psychometric studies have repeatedly shown that only 8% of individuals have the capacity for objective self-eval- uation. While this statistic is daunting, and you are challenging this notion, I’d suggest that you take 10-15 minutes to take the Big 5 personality test to learn more about yourself and see if there are areas where you would like to improve. Perhaps by recogniz- ing more about your own psychological make-up you can improve your level of happiness in life as well as become a better competitor in the ring. The test can be found, for free at https://openpsychometrics.org/ tests/IPIP-BFFM/. You will not be asked your name or any personal information. This repository provides academics with large popu- lation groups to ensure that their studies are statistically valid. If you’re curious, there are other tests on this site that you can take for free as well. I want to emphasize that if you are struggling with any sort of psychological discomfort, seek the help of an accredited psychologist. If there is a specific question that I can answer for you, please feel free to reach out on Facebook. I promise that I will answer to the best of my ability. See you in the ring, and remember to have fun and be a good sport!
• High concern for self with low concern for others; • Low concern for self and high concern for others; • Moderate concern for self and for others; • Low concern for self and low concern for others; • High concern for self and high concern for others.
If you look at these options with the thought that most of us fall towards the center of the personality spectrum, you will see that most people are likely to have moderate concern for self and moder- ate concern for others. This balance enables most of us to compete fairly, displaying good sportsmanship. I believe that it is important to restate that conformation dog show judging is a highly subjective enterprise. If we acknowledge this, first and foremost, we will walk away happier and less frustrated. The competitive style that is truly the most problematic are the people who have high concern for self with low concern for others. Unfortunately, if you spend time at dog shows, you will see plenty of these individuals behaving poorly when they don’t get their way. Since every loss is a blow to their (often overblown) ego, they will continue their foul behavior, bad-mouthing the competition or the judge who has not done as they’d wanted. Being immersed in the dog show world, I have witnessed many individuals (some even at the highest levels of the sport) behav- ing poorly; stomping out of the ring with a vulgar expression on their face, throwing a ribbon at their own people, or being benched
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Michael Nelinson has been involved in purposefully bred dogs and AKC conformation shows for 45 years. His parents bred and showed Standard Poodles, and he spent his weekends at dog shows, grooming and supporting his family’s efforts. This exposure led Michael to become interested in handling and he was fortunate to
find wonderful mentors among the handlers with whom he spent time every weekend. He purchased his first American Staffordshire Terrier in 1979 and he’s been connected to the breed ever since. Michael was a part-time research assistant, supporting the work of a psychologist who was a longtime faculty member at the University of Pennsylvania. Michael runs a successful business, writes on several topics relevant to social-sciences, and shows dogs on weekends.
88 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, MAY 2022
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