A recent study examined how people of different ages view competition and cooperation. Psychologists at the University of Chicago and sociologist Tamar Kricheli-Katz of Tel Aviv University led the research. The team found older adults tend to hold fewer zero-sum beliefs than younger adults.
The researchers first noticed this pattern in the World Values Survey, which collects data on values across countries. To test it, they ran four experiments with nearly 2,500 participants divided into age groups 18–30 and 65–80. Participants rated agreement with general statements like “If somebody gets rich, someone has to get poor,” and judged specific workplace and reward scenarios.
Results showed younger people were more likely to view situations as win-lose. The study warns that seeing non-competitive situations as competitive can cause harm, for example in views about immigration. The authors report that exposing the bias and training, such as a negotiation course, moved people toward cooperation and better outcomes.
Difficult words
- competition — situation where people try to win
- cooperation — working together to reach a common goal
- zero-sum — situation where one person's gain is another's loss
- belief — idea that someone accepts as truebeliefs
- survey — research study that collects people's answers
- participant — person who takes part in a research studyparticipants
- bias — unfair preference or attitude toward one side
- negotiation — formal discussion to reach an agreement
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- The study found older adults hold fewer zero-sum beliefs. Do you agree with this idea in your country? Give one example.
- The authors say training like a negotiation course helped people cooperate. Would you take a course like this? Why or why not?
- How might thinking that every situation is competitive affect community views about topics like immigration?
