Competition or Noncompetition: Its Impact on Interpersonal Relationships in a Computer-Assisted Learning Environment

The study explored the differential effects of intra-group cooperation with and without inter-group competition on interpersonal relationships in a CAI environment in Taiwan. Six classes of fifth-grade students (a total of 192) randomly selected from one primary school in Taipei were randomly assigned to two treatment conditions. Interpersonal relationships among participants were collected via a written post-session, self-report questionnaire measuring subject perceptions toward their own dyad, and other dyads. According to the collected data, statistically significant differences were found between the two treatment conditions in subject perceptions toward their own dyad as well as other dyads. In addition, subjects in the cooperation without inter-group competition condition tended to have better perceptions toward both their own dyad and other dyads than subjects in the cooperation with inter-group competition condition.