Several common characteristics are shared by competition and comparative optimism; and comparative optimism has often been observed in competitive environments like entrepreneurial fields or areas that require skills. Competitive context could be an explanatory factor for comparative optimism neglected to date. The aim of this article is to test the links between competition (vs. cooperation) and comparative optimism. In Study 1, participants in different academic majors with a more or less competitive nature (respectively, medical studies and human sciences studies) answered questions about their future and that of others. In Study 2, for the participants in the less competitive course of study (human sciences studies), we presented their studies as being either competitive or cooperative. The impact of this context was tested as a function of the closeness or distance between the participants and the comparison targets. The results of both studies showed that competition increased the expression of comparative optimism. In Study 2, this effect emerged more when the comparison target was distant than when it was close, with proximity hindering the competitive relationship between the self and others. The feeling of competition with others contributed to a better understanding of comparative optimism and initiated new explanations for its emergence.

中文翻译：

---

竞争和合作环境对比较乐观主义的影响

竞争和比较乐观具有几个共同特征；在创业领域或需要技能的领域等竞争环境中，人们经常观察到比较乐观。竞争环境可能是迄今为止被忽视的比较乐观主义的一个解释因素。本文的目的是测试竞争（与合作）和比较乐观之间的联系。在研究 1 中，具有或多或少竞争性质的不同学术专业（分别是医学研究和人文科学研究）的参与者回答了关于他们和其他人的未来的问题。在研究 2 中，对于竞争性较低的学习课程（人文科学研究）的参与者，我们将他们的研究呈现为竞争性或合作性。这种背景的影响被测试为参与者与比较目标之间的接近程度或距离的函数。两项研究的结果都表明，竞争增加了比较乐观的表现。在研究 2 中，当比较目标距离较近时，这种效应出现得更多，接近阻碍了自我与他人之间的竞争关系。与他人竞争的感觉有助于更好地理解比较乐观主义，并对其出现提出了新的解释。接近阻碍了自我与他人之间的竞争关系。与他人竞争的感觉有助于更好地理解比较乐观主义，并对其出现提出了新的解释。接近阻碍了自我与他人之间的竞争关系。与他人竞争的感觉有助于更好地理解比较乐观主义，并对其出现提出了新的解释。