Abstract
Relationships among competition, athletic skill, and social relationships among children have received considerable attention from social psychologists and have also sparked considerable public debate. Most studies of these relationships have concentrated on sports programs involving upper elementary or older boys. This field work study examined these relationships in three after-school recreation programs for children ages 5 to 8. Although all programs professed to stress skills development over competition, teams act varied substantially in competitive climates. Competitive environments heightened the tendency for athletic skill to function as a generalized status element in peer networks. After-school sports programs contributed to the reproduction of athletic skill as a basis of peer status, even for young children.
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Landers-Potts, M., Grant, L. Competitive Climates, Athletic Skill, and Children's Status in After-School Recreational Sports Programs. Social Psychology of Education 2, 297–313 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009621000574
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009621000574