The effects of competitive treatments on performance, interest, and retention were examined with the use of a ten-day vocabulary task administered in sixty-six fifth grade classrooms. Neither performance nor retention was increased under the competitive treatments. (CK)

The first nationwide effort of industry, education, and government to promote excellence in mathematics through a junior high school mathematics competition is described. The rationale for MATHCOUNTS, the organizational structure, the format, and mathematics content are described. Contains some sample items. (MNS)

To maintain good health, one must learn to deal with stress and its physical responses. Included in this article about stress is an Activity Level Self-Assessment, an instrument that lists normal, daily activities and totals the amount of time spent doing them. (CJ)

Analyzed the effect of a seven-week motivational training program on competitive veteran swimmers. Results suggested that the motivational training program exerted significant and positive influences on swimming performances. Swimmers perceived the program effective in improving swimming performances, developing personal motivation, establishing…

An inquiry letter from an "interested junior" at one institution was sent to 252 competitive institutions to learn about the competitors' responses and marketing practices. All responded. Sixty-one percent did not personalize the response; only 25 percent specifically addressed the request. The most competitive responses were from small, private…

Reasons for continued athletic participation by youths include affiliation incentives, the desire to succeed, and the need to express aggressiveness. The major reason for dropping out of an athletic activity is the overemphasis on competition which leads to feelings of unworthiness and failure on the part of some youths. (JN)

Sport psychology has become increasingly important in the development of athletic programs intended to promote healthy physical and psychological development of young participants. In an effort to develop appropriate methods of training coaches to meet the children's needs more fully, behavioral guidelines and assessments are devised and…

Found that college students are motivated to participate in debate to fulfill the following broad range of needs: educational, social, competitive, career preparation, miscellaneous, and financial. Results of this study suggest that educational motivations are clearly more important than competitive needs. (PD)

Describes the first Biology Olympics for high school teams which took place at Slippery Rock State College, Pennsylvania. Individual events are described as well as the visitation day program for nonparticipants. (SA)

Performance outcomes are influenced by two psychological needs: the need to feel competent and the need to feel in control. To avoid competitive stress and create motivation, the athletic coach should: (1) take the emphasis off winning and place it on the process of skill development and improvement; and (2) encourage the athlete to set realistic…

Type A and Type B children's efforts to achieve were investigated. Type A's solved more arithmetic problems than did Type B's in a no-deadline condition. Type A's held a weight, which matched individual hand strength, 50 percent longer than did Type B's. Ambiguous performance criteria seemed to increase Type A efforts to excel. (Author/DB)

The purpose of this study was to examine children's cognitive-attributional and affective response patterns within competitive and individualistic goal structures. Findings showed that effort attributions covaried with outcome in the individualistic structure, whereas luck and outcome covaried in the competitive structure. (Author/GK)

Argues that teacher use of competition in the classroom may lead to anxiety, aggression, or a decrease in self-concept among students and that learning to compete is not so important in a postindustrial society. Advocates cooperative classroom activities. (SJL)

Competency in athletic coaching has been a professional concern for many years. In the future, the coach in training will be held accountable for demonstrating a measure of proficiency in performing essential competencies. Athletics may be restructured to achieve more cognitive, psychomotor, and affective learning. (JN)

The effects of interpersonal cooperation, competition, and individualistic efforts were compared on math and reading drill-review, story problems, sequencing, triangle identification, and visual sorting according to attributes tasks, using first-grade students. The cooperative group achieved higher scores and found the tasks easier than the…