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Competition and the role of group identity

Author

Listed:
  • Francesca Cornaglia
  • Michalis Drouvelis
  • Paolo Masella

Abstract

The emergence of competition is a defining aspect of human nature and characterizes many important social environments. However, its relationship with how social groups are formed has received little attention. We design an experiment to analyze how individuals’ willingness to compete is affected by group identity. We find that individuals display substantially stronger competitiveness in within group (ingroup) matchings than in between group (outgroup) matchings or in a control setting where no group identity is induced. We also find that the effect of group identity is stronger for subjects who participated more actively in the team-building task.

Suggested Citation

  • Francesca Cornaglia & Michalis Drouvelis & Paolo Masella, 2019. "Competition and the role of group identity," CESifo Working Paper Series 7643, CESifo.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:ceswps:_7643
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    Cited by:

    1. Chi Trieu, 2023. "Who’s who: how uncertainty about the favored group affects outcomes of affirmative action," Journal of the Economic Science Association, Springer;Economic Science Association, vol. 9(2), pages 252-292, December.
    2. Trieu, Chi, 2023. "Who's who: How uncertainty about the favored group effects outcomes of affirmative action," DICE Discussion Papers 405, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf Institute for Competition Economics (DICE).
    3. Barile, Lory & Drouvelis, Michalis, 2024. "Priming and the gender gap in competitiveness," The Warwick Economics Research Paper Series (TWERPS) 1490, University of Warwick, Department of Economics.
    4. Hirofumi Kurokawa & Hiroko Okudaira & Yusuke Kinari & Fumio Ohtake, 2025. "The Impact of Gender and Group Identity on Willingness to Compete," Discussion Paper Series 295, School of Economics, Kwansei Gakuin University.
    5. Eugen Dimant & Kyle Hyndman, 2019. "Becoming Friends or Foes? How Competitive Environments Shape Social Preferences," Discussion Papers 2019-18, The Centre for Decision Research and Experimental Economics, School of Economics, University of Nottingham.
    6. Ou Li & Yan Shi & Kuangran Li, 2025. "Red, rather than blue can promote fairness in decision-making," Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 12(1), pages 1-10, December.
    7. Mill, Wladislaw & Morgan, John, 2022. "Competition between friends and foes," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 147(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • C92 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Group Behavior
    • D03 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Behavioral Microeconomics: Underlying Principles

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