The Influence of Competitiveness on Aggression and Peer Rejection in Youth over Time

Abstract

The temporal association between aggression, peer rejection, and competitiveness (i.e., the evaluation of one’s own skills and abilities compared to those of another) was examined in a sample of 615 students assessed yearly from grades 7 to 12. Using path analysis, results indicated that competitiveness predicted aggression at every time point with one exception (grade 11 to 12). Competitiveness and peer rejection were found to have a negative reciprocal association, and aggression and peer rejection were shown to be reciprocally related. Competitiveness, aggression, and peer rejection were each statistically significantly stable over time. Implications, limitations, and future directions are discussed.