Cooperativeness and Competitiveness in Children
17 Pages Posted: 29 Apr 2014
There are 2 versions of this paper
Cooperativeness and Competitiveness in Children
Cooperativeness and Competitiveness in Children
Date Written: April 28, 2014
Abstract
Cooperation and competition are both essential elements of economic life. Here we explore how cooperation in a prisoner’s dilemma is correlated with competitiveness in a sample of 9-12 year old children in Colombia and Sweden. Using two different measures and four different tasks for competitiveness, we find no consistent relationship between cooperativeness and competitiveness. However, we find evidence of a negative relationship between willingness to compete in a math task and cooperativeness in the overall sample. Competitiveness in math has previously been related to educational choices. The relationship between cooperation and competitiveness in math might therefore be the most labor market relevant.
Keywords: cooperation, competitiveness, experiment, children
JEL Classification: C91, D03
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation