Perceptions of Classroom Competition Impact Students’ Use of Campus Resources
Session Title
Additional Projects
College
College of Arts and Sciences
Department
Psychology
Abstract
We examined college students’ perceptions of competition in the classroom, hypothesizing that increased perceptions of classroom competition would relate to lower campus engagement and higher stress levels. Participants (n=121) were adults with a mean age of 21.62 (SD=2.39). The majority in our demographic categories were women (74%), Caucasian (47%), and heterosexual (66%). Participants responded to scales to assess their campus and peer engagement, stress levels, and perceptions of classroom competition and engagement. Results revealed that college students, across demographic categories, perceived similar levels of classroom competition; however, their individual experiences varied widely. Students who perceived the most classroom competition were more likely to seek health or counseling services. They reported feeling more stress and felt less noticed by their professors. Male students reported feeling most respected by their peers, but ironically, students said that they felt least respected by male peers in the classroom. White peers were also seen as creating competition and showing less respect for other students. Black students were perceived as being the most respectful of and least competitive with their classroom peers. Thus, our data suggest that race and gender do not predict how much competition a student perceives, but where students perceive competition arising from is tied to race and gender. These findings add to the limited information available about perceptions of competition in the college classroom and offer insight into another factor that influences students’ campus engagement.
Start Date
15-4-2022 12:00 PM
Perceptions of Classroom Competition Impact Students’ Use of Campus Resources
We examined college students’ perceptions of competition in the classroom, hypothesizing that increased perceptions of classroom competition would relate to lower campus engagement and higher stress levels. Participants (n=121) were adults with a mean age of 21.62 (SD=2.39). The majority in our demographic categories were women (74%), Caucasian (47%), and heterosexual (66%). Participants responded to scales to assess their campus and peer engagement, stress levels, and perceptions of classroom competition and engagement. Results revealed that college students, across demographic categories, perceived similar levels of classroom competition; however, their individual experiences varied widely. Students who perceived the most classroom competition were more likely to seek health or counseling services. They reported feeling more stress and felt less noticed by their professors. Male students reported feeling most respected by their peers, but ironically, students said that they felt least respected by male peers in the classroom. White peers were also seen as creating competition and showing less respect for other students. Black students were perceived as being the most respectful of and least competitive with their classroom peers. Thus, our data suggest that race and gender do not predict how much competition a student perceives, but where students perceive competition arising from is tied to race and gender. These findings add to the limited information available about perceptions of competition in the college classroom and offer insight into another factor that influences students’ campus engagement.
