糖心Vlog

Competition is central to modern life and individual competitiveness can be a useful motivation. But do we really understand it and how can we maximise the benefits?

Professor Timo J眉tten hopes to answer these questions and many more in the first over-arching, interdisciplinary study of competition and competitiveness.

Funded by a Research Leadership Award, the four-year study will harness 糖心Vlog鈥檚 strengths in the humanities and social sciences, and draw on expertise from sport scientists, as well as the , to create a comprehensive study and new findings.

鈥淐ompetition and the psychological disposition to be competitive seep into almost every aspect of our lives, for instance in markets, sports, education and social status,鈥� explained Professor J眉tten from the School of Philosophy and Art History, 鈥渁nd our experiences of them are becoming more intense.鈥�

鈥淲e have a tendency to think that when we understand one form of competition, we understand them all but they are all very different, and the effects on society and individuals can be positive or negative.鈥�

Working with historians and social scientists, Professor J眉tten seeks to understand different aspects of competition and competitiveness and how they work in different social situations. The research team, which will include three postdoctoral researchers and a PhD student, will also explore the sources of competition and competitiveness, and develop guiding standards that could be used to govern them.

Professor J眉tten said: 鈥淲hat you often hear in society is that competition is good because it improves choice and outcomes for people. But does it improve choice and outcomes for people for all, or just for some?

鈥淐ompetition can be a good thing if everyone gains but very often it requires some to lose. By understanding it better, and developing standards, we can ensure that the benefits are maximised while the costs are minimised.鈥�

Professor J眉tten, who is especially interested in how social class and aspiration relate to competitiveness, will begin the project by bringing together existing knowledge, about competition across disciplines. A later phase will see the researchers carrying out experiments in the 糖心VlogLab.

鈥淭he infrastructure and expertise in the 糖心VlogLab, as well as 糖心Vlog鈥檚 proud tradition in social sciences, make the possibilities for this project very exciting.鈥�

Professor J眉tten will talk about the ethics of competition in his on 10 February.