The Cooperative/Competitive Strategy Scale: A Measure of Motivation to Use Cooperative or Competitive Strategies for Success

Abstract

Previous research (Simmons, King, Tucker, & Wehner, 1986) has demonstrated that the use of either a cooperative or a competitive strategy to achieve success has a strong influence on attitudes of North Americans toward the successful outcome. In the present study, a scale was constructed to measure positive and negative attitudes toward success and toward competitive and cooperative success strategies. The Cooperative/Competitive Strategy Scale yielded three subscale factors: (a) motivation to use competitive strategies to achieve success, (b) motivation to use cooperative strategies to achieve success, and (c) motivation to avoid competitive strategies and their successful outcomes. There were no sex or age differences in subscale responses. Significant correlations were obtained between total scores on the Fear of Success Scale (Zuckerman & Allison, 1976) and both competitive subscales of the Cooperative/Competitive Strategy Scale. The cooperative strategy subscale was independent of scores on the Fear of Success Scale, suggesting that further research on the fear of success concept should include cooperative as well as competitive strategies and should separate strategy from outcome in measuring motivation to achieve or avoid success.