Relationship between Competitive Orientation, Grit, Goal Adjustment and Anxiety in College Students

Description

Page: 272-279

Chakshu Sang¹ and Neha Bhansali² (Independent Researcher¹ and Maniben Nanavati Women’s College, Mumbai, Maharashtra²)

The current study aims to contribute to the growing research on the concepts of Competitive Orientation, Grit, Goal Adjustment and Anxiety that are emerging in today’s world. Data for the study was collected from 100 final-year MBA students using the Multidimensional Competitive Orientation Inventory, Short-Grit Scale, Goal Adjustment Scale and Zung’s Self-rating Anxiety Scale. For data analyses, Pearson Product Moment Correlation was conducted to understand the association between the variables, along with ancillary analyses of regression and t-tests to understand the gender differences across the variables. The findings of the study indicate that a significant negative association between lack of interest in competition and goal re-engagement was observed (r= -.221; p<0.05), while a significant negative association between anxiety-driven competition avoidance and goal disengagement (r= -.285; p<0.01) and goal re-engagement (r= -.237; p<0.05), respectively, was found. Also, anxiety-driven competition avoidance displayed a significant positive association with anxiety (r= .377; p<0.01), while the variable of self-development competition orientation displayed a significant negative association (r= -.197; p<0.05). Finally, a significant negative association between Grit and Anxiety was observed (r= -.298; p<0.01). Based on further regression analyses, it was observed that Grit served as a predictor of Anxiety and anxiety served as a predictor of anxiety-driven competition avoidance. Gender differences analysis findings indicated that significant differences exist on the variable of anxiety-driven competition avoidance, with females displaying this orientation higher than males (t=3.500; p<0.01). The study has implications in the field of positive psychology, counselling and psychological interventions, along with the field of career counselling and skill development and training.