VALUES OF HYPERCOMPETITIVE AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT COMPETITIVE INDIVIDUALS

The value systems of hypercompetitive and personal development competi tive individuals were examined in a sample of university undergraduate s. As expected, people higher in hypercompetitiveness and in personal development competitiveness were both more likely to endorse values re lated to self-contained individualism such as achievement, hedonism, a nd a striving for an exciting and challenging life, but only hypercomp etitives endorsed the value of power and control over others. Moreover , the data indicated that people higher in personal development compet itiveness were more prone to endorse values related to ensembled indiv idualism. In particular, they strongly endorsed values associated with social concern, that is, with caring about the well-being of others a nd with treating them with respect and as equals, whereas hypercompeti tives expressed a lack of such concern. Discussion centered on the soc ialization process and how it can foster the development of different competitive orientations.