Blog Entry 8- Companies Compete, You Win!

Capitalism is defined as an economic system characterized by private or corporate ownership of capital goods, by investments that are determined by private decision, and by prices, production, and the distribution of goods that are determined mainly by competition in a free market (Merriam-Webster, 2010).

We live in a wonderful nation.  American citizens retain the right to pursue any aspect of life they choose.  Our capitalist society also allows for the privately owned businesses to take care of their own activities.  When companies have complete control over their private production and profits, competition is the next logical step.  Companies with the same interests can compete with one another for the patronage of consumers.  Prices are often the variable being decided on.

Health care has been a rising issue for some time now.  With medical costs on the rise, many people are wondering how they will afford medical care.  This is where competition plays its part.  When consumers pay for medicine themselves, saving insurance for the big things, and doctors deal directly with consumers, doctors begin to compete (Stossel, 2007).  This economic competition is what keeps the prices low.  Low prices create happy people.  So the next time you see that annoying advertisement on television, remember this:  that annoying advertisement is keeping prices down for YOU.  Competition gives consumers more choices. And choice gives them power (Stossel, 2007).

http://bennygunns.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/the-faces-of-capitalism1.jpg

Citations:


capitalism. 2010. In Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary.     
     Retrieved October 18, 2010 from http://www.merriam-     
     webster.com/dictionary/capitalism.


Stossel, J. (2007). Medical Competition Works for Patients. Real Clear Politics. Retrieved from http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2007/10/medical_competition_works_for.html

Blog Entry 7- What is Competition?

Upon the completion of my blog to this point, I realized I have yet to explore what competition is exactly.  The Online Merriam-Webster Dictionary (2010) defines competition as “the effort of two or more parties acting independently to secure the business of a third party by offering the most favorable terms.”  The definition of competition is shared across all theaters of life.  When there is something that simply cannot be shared, there is competition.  However, while humans often compete for entertainment and social reasons, animals compete every day for an entirely different reason: survival.  A more primal definition by Webster (2010) defines competition as an “active demand by two or more organisms or kinds of organisms for some environmental resource in short supply.”  Whether it's two companies competing for lower prices or two monkeys fighting for a banana, competition is a part of all life as we know it.

[Image]http://lowposts.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/monkey.jpg

Citations:

competition. 2010. In Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary.     
     Retrieved October 11, 2010 from http://www.merriam-     
     webster.com/dictionary/competition.

Blog Entry 5- Steroids in Athletics

The use of steroids has plagued modern sports competitions for many years now.  Steroids completely eliminate the physical balance that is the underlying theme of competition. An unsavory fact is that steroid use is on the rise.  Men and women are taking steroids at an increasingly alarming rate.  Now they can be found in almost every sports league across the world.  A more disturbing fact is that they can now be found in almost every age group as well. 

We can’t condemn steroid users without first knowing why they take them in the first place.  There must be some benefits, right?  Anabolic steroids are derivatives of the naturally forming testosterone found in both men and women.  The anabolic effect of testosterone allows the muscles to retain more protein from the users diet.  This in turn causes an increase in strength and muscle mass.

http://media.ebaumsworld.com/picture/Velso/Steroids.png

Now it’s time to hear the bad news.  The awesome muscle building power of steroids is not without side effects.  Here are several physical and psychological effects.

Physical side effects:

·      Men-Shrinking of the testicles and development of breasts

·      Women-Facial hair growth and deepened voice

Psychological side effects:

·      Hostility

·      Aggressiveness

·      Irritability

·      Depression

·      Mood swings

The bottom line is this: steroids cause testicle shrinkage and unnatural facial hair growth. As for any steroid use in my future, shrinking of the testicles is more than enough to keep me away.

Citations:

Darkes, J.  (2010).  The Psychological Effects of Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids.  Mesomorphosis.  Retrieved from

http://www.mesomorphosis.com/articles/darkes/psychology-01.htm

none.  (2007).  Anabolic Steroids.  ESPN.  Retrieved from

http://espn.go.com/special/s/drugsandsports/steroids.html

Blog Entry 4- Trash Talk

Throughout history trash talking has gone hand in hand with various competitive events.  Anyone who watches sports or has played them will tell you that the art of trash talking is a very real and very alive issue.  There is no denying that trash talking exists.  However, what is debatable are the reasons behind the blatant use of put-downs in competitions.  These reasons range from gaining a simple strategic advantage to expressing complete hate.

• Strategy:  The strategic use of trash talk in order to get “under your opponents skin” is the more appealing of its uses.  Instances such as Muhammad Ali winking at his opponents and Babe Ruth verbally intimidating the pitcher are perfect examples of strategic trash talk.  While strategic trash talking has certainly been proven time and time again, sports psychologist Johnathan Katz believes it may have the adverse effect.  He says that too much energy and concentration is used trying to think of ways to put down your opponent.  That energy could be used to better the actual player in the competition.
• Hate:  This is the ugly side of trash talking.  This is often seeded through anger, humiliation, and fear.  It serves the purpose of possibly intimidating the opponent, but is usually just an avenue for one to express their true feelings.  An example of this was when Jack Johnson became the first black world heavyweight champion.  He was challenged by Jack Jeffries who proceeded to trash talk Jack Johnson based solely on racial tensions at the time.

http://www.orangejuiceblog.com/tag/cathy-schlicht/

Citations:

Silverman, J. (1999).  The Art of Trash Talk.  Psychology Today.  Retrieved from http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/199909/the-art-trash-talk 

MereDictum (2010).  Psychology of Trash Talk: Fear, Strategy or Hate.  Low Kick.  Retrieved from http://www.lowkick.com/UFC/The-Psychology-of-Trash-Talk-Fear-Strategy-or-Hatred-6778

Blog Entry 3- Competitive Anxiety

Let us go to imaginationland…..

It’s the final quarter of the game, 3^rd down, and your team is down two points with seconds on the clock.  Your team has battled up the field and is now well within field goal range.  Unfortunately, the game winning kick comes down to you.  The air is tight in your lungs, forcing your chest to tighten in anticipation.  The entire game comes down to this last kick.  Sprinting towards the ball, you launch it far left into the bleachers.  The opposing team's crowd cheers in victory while everyone stares at you in disappointment...

http://www.about-knowledge.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/tim-tebow-crying.jpg

Now imagine if there had been a way to avoid this terrible disaster.  What if what you were experiencing was completely natural and explainable.  Well luckily for you I know all the answers.  This common problem is called competitive anxiety.  It is shared between athletes in almost every type of competitive event ranging from sports events to musical performances.  Anxiety can be split into three different categories: cognitive, somatic, and behavioural.

• Cognitive: This section of anxiety focuses on the mental responses of one who is suffering from competitive anxiety.  Symptoms include: feeling heavy, loss of confidence, and fear.
• Somatic: This section of anxiety focuses on the physical responses of one who is suffering from competitive anxiety.  Symptoms include: dry mouth, muscle tension, and distorted vision.
• Behavioural: This section of anxiety focuses on the behavior and mannerisms of one who is suffering from competitive anxiety.  Symptoms include: fidgeting, introversion, and avoidance of eye contact.

Now you are asking, “Well what can I do to make sure theses things don’t happen to me?”  Luckily for you, I have the answers to that question as well.  There are many different anxiety-fighting techniques used throughout the world.  However, I will focus on two for the purposes of this blog post.

• The Five Breath Technique:  This technique seems fairly obvious, but there is a certain procedure to follow.  Before a competition, begin by breathing in slowing through your nose while exhaling slowly through your mouth.  Relax a different part of your body each time you exhale.  Continue doing this as long as needed.
• Benson’s Relaxation Response: This technique is a type of meditation.  The process includes sitting in a relaxed position and focusing on a specific, predetermined word.  Focusing only on this word for 10-15 minutes will prepare your mind for the coming challenges.

With these techniques in place, you will be well on your way to avoiding brutal defeat at the hands of competitive anxiety.

Citations:

Mackenzie, B.  (1997).  Competitive Anxiety.  Brianmac Sports Coach.  Retrieved from http://www.brianmac.co.uk/companx.htm

Blog Entry 2- Cheating in Online Multiplayer

If you are among the millions of gamers who picked up a copy of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 at the end of last year, chances are you have hopped into the multiplayer at least a million times.  I would also be willing to guess that in your multiplayer shenanigans, you have come across those in the MW2 community that have felt the need to distinguish themselves by either modding their account or buying modded controllers.  While the first case does not effect the gameplay of other players per-say, the act of using a modded control in online multiplayer is against the Xbox Live code of conduct.  I will explain what a modded controller is to those who are not familiar with them.  The typical modded controller has several modes which alter the rate of fire for the user.  In the case of MW2, guns that were designed to be single shot weapons are now able to be fired automatically.  This can pose a problem based on the game design principle of balance.  Weapons that were designed for semi-automatic fire were balanced with other(automatic) weapons by having a their damage output increased.  When this balance is thrown off, the quality of gameplay decreases due to certain players having any unfair advantage.

http://on10.net/Link/ce7932ba-ca20-416e-b5a0-3ae5f6f62589/?default=content

As I was browsing content on cheating, I came across a TED talk by Dan Ariely.  I couldn't figure out how to upload it into this blog so I will post the link in the citations.  Dan Ariely focused on the seemingly "buggy" moral code of today's society.  He tested his ideas with a sample group by having them take an overly difficult math quiz.  For each question the quiz takers got correct, they were awarded a certain amount of money.  In his talk he came upon several main points.  First, he found that many people feel that it is alright to cheat.  He called this the "personal fudge factor".  Second, he found that people who do cheat will usually only cheat a little.  Ariely found that there is a certain level of cheating that we all would like to stay below.  Third, when people are reminded of the morality of cheating the level of cheating decreases.  Fourth, when there is a larger distance between the person and the prize, cheating increases.  In this case, Ariely paid the quiz takers in tokens that could be traded in for money instead of the actual cash.  Last,  people are more likely to cheat when other people in their environment are doing the same.

With this information in mind, I came upon a few realizations:

1.  As far as online multiplayer, there is a great distance between the player and what they are doing.  This aligns perfectly with the fourth point Dan Ariely made.

2.  Online players are able to stomach cheating because of it's seemingly small impact.  However, this provides a paradox.  The players may be winning, but they realize that they really didn't.  What is the point?

3.  What is the difference between modding a controller and having a automatic win mod?  There is none if there is a disadvantage for other players.

Citations:

Ariely, D. (Producer).  (2009, February).  Dan Ariely on our buggy moral code.  TED talks.  Podcast retrieved from http://on10.net/Link/ce7932ba-ca20-416e-b5a0-3ae5f6f62589/?default=content

Blog Entry 1- The First Athletic Competitions

Seeing as this is the fist blog post of many concerning competition and the psychology behind it, I think it is fitting to start at the beginning.  Some people may think the very first athletic competitions occurred at the Olympics, but in reality these types of events had been around for many years before.  As early as 3000 B.C. there is archaeological evidence of physical competitions in Egypt and Mesopotamia.  Events such as wrestling and equestrian racing were frequently held by Pharaohs and high ranking nobles in Egypt.  During the Bronze Age, Minoans participated in a competition closely resembling modern bull riding.  However, the participants did not ride the bulls, they jumped headfirst over the charging beast.

http://www.sis.gov.eg/VR/pharo/html/s9.htm

Now that we have some historical context on early competitions, let's take a look at some of the psychology that lies behind these early events.  In Maslow's hierarchy of needs, Abraham Maslow divides his hierarchy into two groups.  The first group consists of the deficiency needs including: psychological, safety, belongingness, and esteem.  According to his theory, each of these must be met before moving on to the next one.  The second group are the growth needs.  These include cognitive, aesthetic, self-actualization, and self-transcendence.  For the purpose of this blog we will focus on the first group, particularly the self-esteem portion.  This section of the hierarchy includes the human need for confidence, achievement, respect of others, and the need to be a unique individual.  I believe it is safe to assume that all of these could be obtained by winning a competition.  There lies the motivation behind the origin of competition: the need to be accepted.  There are many other possible reasons for competitions, but the ultimate goal for each of them goes back to a need for self-esteem.

http://theskooloflife.com/wordpress/self-actualization-in-the-maslow-hierarchy/

Citations:

Huitt, W. (2007). Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Educational Psychology Interactive. Valdosta, GA: Valdosta State University. Retrieved [date] from, http://www.edpsycinteractive.org/topics/regsys/maslow.html


Classics Technology Center(n.d.), The Ancient Olympics, retrieved from http://ablemedia.com/ctcweb/consortium/ancientolympics.html