Unpacking Interplays Between Competitiveness, Cooperativeness, and Social Comparison Orientation: A Network Psychometric Approach and Replication

Emerging evidence highlights the role of social comparison in competition and cooperation, yet the dynamics among competitiveness, cooperativeness, and social comparison orientation (SCO) remain underexplored. In the present study, we sought to unravel these complex interplays employing graphical Gaussian models (GGMs) and characterize the network structures utilizing cross-sectional data derived from 1073 Chinese participants. A rigorously pre-registered independent sample (n = 1348) served to substantiate the replicability and robustness of our initial findings. Moreover, we explored the Bayesian networks (i.e., directed acyclic graphs) to delve into their probabilistic directed dependencies. Our analysis identified an interpersonal co-opetition network where SCO bridges competitiveness and cooperativeness, emphasizing the key influence of the desire to surpass others. We also found significant gender effect on the levels of these orientations, however, not on their interplays. Critically, our replication sample offered compelling validation for the resultant network structure and its key nodes, reinforcing the credibility of our conclusions. In sum, these findings forge a coherent understanding of the symbiotic relationship between competitiveness and cooperativeness within an overarching framework of social comparison, offering significant theoretical and practical implications.