The relationship of competitive and cooperative attitudes of students participating in team sports.

Abstract

This study investigated the difference between the competitive and cooperative attitudes of (1) the Ss involved in the PE, intramural, and interscholastic programs, (2) the Ss enrolled in grades 9 through 12, and (3) the Ss attending 4 different SHS. Finally, the competitive and cooperative test scores were compared with the instructor's or coach's ranking of the Ss attitudes. Each girl in the SHS PE class and in the interscholastic BB program completed a questionnaire and the TSI. The questionnaire was used to classify the Ss into 1 of 3 groups, nonparticipants, intramural participants, and interscholastic participants, and into grade levels 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th. The Ss were further compared according to schools. Even though there was no significant difference, comparing the difference between the M at the .05 level of confidence between the 3 groups, 4 grade levels, and 4 schools, the interscholastic participants, 9th grade, and School D all possessed slightly higher competitive and cooperative attitudes. The PE instructor and BB coach ranked the Ss according to their competitive and cooperative attitudes. The~, using Pearson product-moment, between the competitive and cooperative test scores and the PE instructor's or BB coach's rankings was found not to be significant. The results of this study imply that the BB program does not tend to intensify the participants competitive and/or cooperative attitudes any more than does the PE program or intramural program. Higher degrees of these 2 attitudes might occur during an actual game situation, Ss putting pressure on themselves. or coaches putting pressure on the SSe It is recommended that a different test be devised. a comparison made between men's and women's attitudes, and a comparison made between the S's attitudes existing at the beginning with the attitudes existing at the end of the programs. SHS =senior high school PE =physical education BB = basketball TSI = Test of Social Insight Ss =subjects M = mean r =correlation