OUTLINE

Competition and Cooperation

I. Explanation of interrelation between competition and cooperation in early research.

A. Competition and cooperation defined in terms of the distribution of rewards.

1. Competition is a situation where rewards are distributed unequally based on performance.

2. Cooperation is a situation where rewards are distributed equally based of on mutual interactive
behavior among individuals.

3. A competitive situation requires at least one competitor to fail.

4. A cooperative situation offers a reward only if all members of the group receive it.

II. Current understanding of the interrelation of competition and cooperation.

A. Researchers have found definitions of competition and cooperation based upon rewards
inadequate, primarily because definitions of these two concepts based upon rewards depict them as
opposite.

B. Competition is not viewed as the opposite of cooperation, instead, cooperation is viewed as an

integral component of competition.

1. Cooperation is necessary among team members in order to win a competition.

Thesis Statement

Although competition and cooperation have different definitions, cooperation should be presented in
order to succeed in a competition, as there is an interrelation between competition and cooperation.

Claim: although competition and cooperation have different definitions

Objective: cooperation should be presented together in order to succeed in a competition

Position: as there is an interrelation between competition and cooperation.

Issue: competition and cooperation