Preference for diversity in competitive and cooperative contexts: A study of American and Japanese children and adolescents

This study examined preferences and explanations for wanting to be in a sam e- versus mixed-achievement classroom, and in a group of peers with similar versus dissimilar interests and hobbies on a school trip among 5th, 8th, a nd 11th graders in Detroit and Matsuyama, Japan. Choice of the diverse envi ronment varied by context, location, and grade level. Across contexts, pref erence for diversity tended to decrease among Detroit students, and increas e among Matsuyama students with age. Additionally, students in Detroit were more likely than their peers in Matsuyama to give ability-based and activi ty-related explanations; students in Matsuyama were more likely than studen ts in Detroit to give mastery-based and cognitive-related explanations, Res ults are discussed in terms of social comparison theory.