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Why Competition may Discourage Students from Learning? A Behavioral Economic Analysis

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Author Info
X. HENRY WANG
BILL YANG
Abstract

Combining the notion of self-worth in sociology and educational psychology with economic modeling, the present paper studies incentives on students' learning in a behavioral economic model. Allowing for 'conservativeness' to modify Bayes' rule in processing newly released information and employing the concepts of 'loss aversion' and 'endowment effect' in behavioral economics, we attempt to explain analytically why competition among students may discourage them from learning. Within an educational institution, competition as an incentive scheme evaluates students on their relative performance, which strengthens the connection between students' relative performance and their perceived ability. When the perception of ability becomes a major concern, competition may motivate students to make a low effort - a strategy to win by not losing.

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Publisher Info
Article provided by Taylor and Francis Journals in its journal Education Economics.

Volume (Year): 11 (2003)
Issue (Month): 2 (August)
Pages: 117-128
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Handle: RePEc:taf:edecon:v:11:y:2003:i:2:p:117-128

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Related research
Keywords: Competition; Incentive; Motivation; Effort; Ability; Perception;

References listed on IDEAS
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  2. Michael H. Riordan, 1985. "Imperfect Information and Dynamic Conjectural Variations," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 16(1), pages 41-50, Spring. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. Drew Fudenberg & Jean Tirole, 1986. "A "Signal-Jamming" Theory of Predation," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 17(3), pages 366-376, Autumn. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  4. Correa, Hector & Gruver, Gene W., 1987. "Teacher-student interaction: A game theoretic extension of the economic theory of education," Mathematical Social Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 13(1), pages 19-47, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  5. Mirman, Leonard J & Samuelson, Larry & Urbano, Amparo, 1993. "Monopoly Experimentation," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 34(3), pages 549-63, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  6. Caroline M. Hoxby, 2000. "Does Competition among Public Schools Benefit Students and Taxpayers?," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 90(5), pages 1209-1238, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  7. Matthew Rabin, 1998. "Psychology and Economics," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 36(1), pages 11-46, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  8. Kahneman, Daniel & Knetsch, Jack L & Thaler, Richard H, 1991. "The Endowment Effect, Loss Aversion, and Status Quo Bias: Anomalies," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 5(1), pages 193-206, Winter. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  9. Kahneman, Daniel & Tversky, Amos, 1979. "Prospect Theory: An Analysis of Decision under Risk," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 47(2), pages 263-91, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  10. Z. Chen & Edwin G. West, 1998. "Selective Versus Universal Vouchers: Modelling Median Voter Preferences in Education," Carleton Economic Papers 98-02, Carleton University, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
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