Utility and Social Consequences of Competition

Last registered on August 04, 2025
View Trial History

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Utility and Social Consequences of Competition
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0015723
Initial registration date
April 01, 2025

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
April 04, 2025, 12:55 PM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Last updated
August 04, 2025, 4:21 PM EDT

Last updated is the most recent time when changes to the trial's registration were published.

Locations

Country
United States of America
Region

Primary Investigator

Name
Jiarui Wang
Affiliation
Boston University
Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

Additional Trial Information

Status
Completed
Start date
2025-06-04
End date
2025-06-05
Keywords
Behavior, Lab, Welfare
Additional Keywords
Competition, Reference-dependent utility, Prosocial behavior
JEL code(s)
C91, D60, D91, I31
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
Competition enhances performance and efficiency but can also have unintended consequences on individuals. This study explores the impact of competition on utility and examines how a competitive environment leaves a lasting imprint on individuals—shaping how they think, behave, and relate to others even after the competition has ended.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Wang, Jiarui. 2025. "Utility and Social Consequences of Competition." AEA RCT Registry. August 04. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.15723-2.3
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
The study includes two experimental interventions: competition or no-competition, and gain framing vs loss framing.
Intervention (Hidden)
The study includes two experimental interventions: (1) competition versus no competition—whether participants complete the task in a competitive context or not; (2) gain framing versus loss framing—whether the task emphasizes potential gains or losses.
Intervention Start Date
2025-06-04
Intervention End Date
2025-06-05

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
The key outcome variables are utility, task preference, zero-sum mindset, and social behaviors including collaboration and altruism.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
Participants are randomly assigned to one of experimental conditions: competition-gain, competition-loss, no-competition-gain, or no-competition-loss. After completing a task in their assigned condition, participants complete a survey.
Experimental Design Details
The experiment consists of two main components: a task and a follow-up survey. The treatment occurs during the task phase. Participants are randomly assigned to one of four treatment conditions. The details of each treatment arm are provided below.

1. Group I (Gain+Competition): Participants are randomly matched with another participant and perform a task. Participant with the better performance receives a bonus reward, while the other does not.

2. Group II (Gain + NoCompetition): Participants perform a task independently. If their performance meet or exceed a threshold, they receive a bonus; if not, they do not.

3. Group III (Loss+Competition): Participants are randomly matched with another participant and perform a task. They are given an endowment. Participants with better performance keep their endowment, while the other lose part of the endowment.

4. Group IV (Loss+NoCompetition): Participants perform a task independently. They are given an endowment. If their performance meet or exceed a threshold, they keep their endowment; if not, they lose part of the endowment.
Randomization Method
Participants are randomly assigned to one of four conditions with equal probability by enrolling in a study on Prolific. Participants who have previously participated in a treatment condition are not allowed to participate in others.
Randomization Unit
Individual-level randomization
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
N/A
Sample size: planned number of observations
Approximately 800 participants
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
200 competition-gain, 200 competition-loss, 200 no-competition-gain, 200 no-competition-loss
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Assuming α = 0.05, power = 0.80, and approximately 800 participants evenly distributed across four conditions, the minimum detectable effect size is approximately Cohen’s d = 0.30. The design is fully between-subjects with random assignment at the individual level.
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Boston University Charles River Campus Institutional Review Board
IRB Approval Date
2025-04-01
IRB Approval Number
7916X
Analysis Plan

There is information in this trial unavailable to the public. Use the button below to request access.

Request Information

Post-Trial

Post Trial Information

Study Withdrawal

There is information in this trial unavailable to the public. Use the button below to request access.

Request Information

Intervention

Is the intervention completed?
Yes
Intervention Completion Date
June 05, 2025, 12:00 +00:00
Data Collection Complete
Yes
Data Collection Completion Date
June 05, 2025, 12:00 +00:00
Final Sample Size: Number of Clusters (Unit of Randomization)
798 participants
Was attrition correlated with treatment status?
No
Final Sample Size: Total Number of Observations
787 participants
Final Sample Size (or Number of Clusters) by Treatment Arms
Data Publication

Data Publication

Is public data available?
No

Program Files

Program Files
No
Reports, Papers & Other Materials

Relevant Paper(s)

Reports & Other Materials