Effects of Social Context and Other's Competence on Engaging in Controversy

Summary

Eighty undergraduates at a large eastern United States university indicated their position on a moral issue, were placed in cooperation or competition, and led to believe the other discussant was more or less competent than themselves. Ss in the cooperative context, compared to competitive context, chose a discussant with an opposing opinion. Ss in competition were more likely to choose controversy when the other discussant was less competent. Results suggest that persons in cooperation may test the validity of their ideas through controversy; persons in competition may attempt to strengthen their opinion either by choosing a more competent discussant with the same opinion or a less competent discussant with an opposing view.