Effects of competitive reward distribution on auditing and competitive responding

This study allowed subjects to audit each other's responding during a serie s of competitive contests. Six pairs of female college students competed in 3-min contests in which thr competitive response was a knob pull. A sum of money was divided using a proportional distribution or a 100%/0% reward di stribution. In the proportional distribution, a subject's proportion of the sum was her proportion of the total number of responses. Also, in every co ntest either subject could make a response that would end the contest prema turely and give both subjects the same amount: a sum equal to 33% of the co mpetitive total. Each subject could press either or both of two audit butto ns that displayed her own and the other's response total for 10 s. Results replicated earlier findings in shelving the superiority of the proportional distribution in total number of competitive responses made. No subject aud ited continuously, and only 1 audited most of the time. Most audits were in terpersonal, including both own and other's scores. Auditing typically was more frequent in 100%/0% contests in which subjects were more likely to sto p the contest when they were far behind. Winners were more likely to audit than were losers. Competitive response rates increased when the differences revealed by audits were small and decreased when they were large. Overall audit patterns were consistent with the view that feedback as "news" is mor e often sought when it can lead to improved outcomes.