Speaking of Psychology How competition drives our behavior, with Stephen Garcia, PhD
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Dec 17, 2025 Dr. Stephen Garcia, a professor at UC Davis and expert on the psychology of competition, dives into the dynamics of competitiveness across various domains. He explains how social comparison shapes our drive, from classrooms to workplaces. Garcia highlights the paradox of larger competitor pools reducing motivation and delves into the impact of competing with friends versus strangers. He also discusses the balance of healthy rivalries versus toxic ones and the cultural nuances of competition. His insights illuminate both the benefits and downsides of competitiveness in our lives.
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Competition Comes From Social Comparison
- Competition arises from social comparison when we anticipate someone will outperform us.
- Stephen Garcia frames competitive behavior as motivated by minimizing performance gaps with others.
More Competitors Can Lower Motivation
- Increasing the number of competitors can reduce motivation to compete despite equal chances of winning.
- Garcia's timed-quiz studies show participants in pools of 10 worked faster than those told they competed with 100.
Tracking Others Fuels Competition
- In small groups people can keep track of relative standing but not in large crowds, lowering competitive drive.
- Garcia links this to social comparison being the engine of competitive motivation.