Dispositional predictors of perceived academic competitiveness: Evidence from multiple countries

Perceiving learning environments as competitive shapes how students think, feel, and behave. We conducted two preregistered studies designed to examine three central constructs in the achievement motivation literature as predictors of perceived academic competitiveness: Trait competitiveness, fear of failure, and general self-efficacy. In Study 1, we (a) replicated and (b) extended prior work using a sample of nearly 700 undergraduates (41.9 % Male; Mage = 19.57 ± 1.43). In Study 2, we (c) examined how these findings generalized using a sample of approximately half a million secondary school students from 73 countries (49.0 % Male; Mage = 15.79 ± 0.29). Students higher in trait competitiveness, fear of failure, and general self-efficacy perceived more competitiveness; this was observed across cultural contexts. Cross-cultural generalizability and the joint influence of dispositional and situational predictors on perceived academic competitiveness are discussed. •Three dispositional predictors of perceived academic competitiveness examined•Students' trait competitiveness, fear of failure, and general self-efficacy tested•Unique positive associations observed for each achievement motivation construct•Significant findings across 95 % of countries (N = 73) with only modest variation•Little evidence for moderation by six candidate cultural dimensions