Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Differences Between Winners and Losers in Competition: the Relation of Cognitive and Emotional Aspects During a Competition to Hemodynamic Responses

  • ORIGINAL ARTICLE
  • Published:
Adaptive Human Behavior and Physiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objectives

Sympathetic nervous activity plays an important role in behavior related to competition. However, the hemodynamic response patterns of winners and losers during competition remain largely unknown. This study examined the differences between winners’ and losers’ hemodynamic and psychological responses (their evaluation of perceived demands and resources and their positive and negative emotions) to competition.

Methods

The participants included 30 university students, who completed a competitive mirror-drawing task (three times) in pairs as their cardiac output (CO) and total peripheral resistance (TPR) were measured. Additionally, they were required to answer a question regarding their subjective psychological state before and during the competition. The participants were assigned to a Winner or a Loser group based on outcomes.

Results

The Winner group presented greater CO changes than the Loser group, while the Loser group displayed greater TPR changes than the Winner group. Moreover, the Winner group scored significantly higher on resource/demand evaluation than the Loser group. Although we observed no significant differences in terms of negative emotion, only the Winner group showed increased positive emotions from precompetition to competition.

Conclusions

This evidence suggests that winners and losers display different patterns of enhanced sympathetic-cardiovascular responses to competition; winners are characterized by a myocardial response pattern, while losers are characterized by a vascular response pattern. The psychological responses that depend on one’s position during a competition provide information on the quality of hemodynamic responses to competition.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abad-Tortosa, D., Alacreu-Crespo, A., Costa, R., Salvador, A., & Serrano, M. Á. (2017). Sex differences in autonomic response and situational appraisal of a competitive situation in young adults. Biological Psychology, 126, 61–70.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Al'Absi, M., Bongard, S., Buchanan, T., Pincomb, G. A., Licinio, J., & Lovallo, W. R. (1997). Cardiovascular and neuroendocrine adjustment to public speaking and mental arithmetic stressors. Psychophysiology, 34, 266–275.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beh, H. C. (1998). Cardiovascular reactivity to psychological stressors. Australian Journal of Psychology, 50, 49–54.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Behnke, M., & Kaczmarek, L. D. (2018). Successful performance and cardiovascular markers of challenge and threat: A meta-analysis. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 130, 73–79.

  • Blascovich, J., & Mendes, W. B. (2000). Challenge and threat appraisals: The role of affective cues. In J. P. Forgas (Ed.), Feeling and thinking: The role of affect in social cognition (pp. 59–82). New York: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cashdan, E. (1998). Are men more competitive than women? British Journal of Social Psychology, 37, 213–229.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cooke, A., Kavussanu, M., & Ring, C. (2011). Effects of competition on endurance performance and the underlying psychological and physiological mechanisms. Biological Psychology, 86, 370–378.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cooke, A., Kavussanu, M., McIntyre, D., & Ring, C. (2013). The effects of individual and team competitions on performance, emotions, and effort. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 35, 132–143.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Costa, R., & Salvador, A. (2012). Associations between success and failure in a face-to-face competition and psychobiological parameters in young women. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 37, 1780–1790.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Costa, R., Serrano, M. A., & Salvador, A. (2016). Importance of self-efficacy in psychoendocrine responses to competition and performance in women. Psicothema, 28, 66–70.

  • Eliot, R. S., Buell, J. C., & Dembroski, T. M. (1982). Bio–behavioural perspectives on coronary heart disease, hypertension and sudden cardiac death. Journal of Internal Medicine, 211, 203–213.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gonzalez-Bono, E., Salvador, A., Serrano, M. A., & Ricarte, J. (1999). Testosterone, cortisol, and mood in a sports team competition. Hormones and Behavior, 35, 55–62.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holt-Lunstad, J., Clayton, C., & Uchino, B. N. (2001). Gender differences in cardiovascular reactivity to competitive stress: the impact of gender of competitor and competition outcome. International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 8, 91–102.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • James, J. E., Gregg, M. E. D., Matyas, T. A., Hughes, B. M., & Howard, S. (2012). Stress reactivity and the hemodynamic profile–compensation deficit (HP–CD) model of blood pressure regulation. Biological Psychology, 90, 161–170.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jiménez, M., Aguilar, R., & Alvero-Cruz, J. R. (2012). Effects of victory and defeat on testosterone and cortisol response to competition: evidence for same response patterns in men and women. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 37, 1577–1581.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jones, K. V. (1985). The thrill of victory: blood-pressure variability and the type A behavior patter. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 8, 277–286.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kelsey, R. M., Blascovich, J., Leitten, C. L., Schneider, T. R., Tomaka, J., & Wiens, S. (2000). Cardiovascular reactivity and adaptation to recurrent psychological stress: the moderating effects of evaluative observation. Psychophysiology, 37, 748–756.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lawler, K. A., Wilcox, Z. C., & Anderson, S. F. (1995). Gender differences in patterns of dynamic cardiovascular regulation. Psychosomatic Medicine, 57, 357–365.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martens, R. (1975). The process of competition. In R. Martens (Ed.), Social psychology & physical activity (pp. 66–86). New York: Harper & Row.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mazur, A., Susman, E. J., & Edelbrock, S. (1997). Sex difference in testosterone response to a video game contest. Evolution and Human Behavior, 18, 317–326.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mehta, P. H., Snyder, N. A., Knight, E. L., & Lassetter, B. (2015). Close versus decisive victory moderates the effect of testosterone change on competitive decisions and task enjoyment. Adaptive Human Behavior and Physiology, 1, 291–311.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mendes, W. B., Blascovich, J., Major, B., & Seery, M. (2001). Challenge and threat responses during downward and upward social comparisons. European Journal of Social Psychology, 31, 477–497.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nagano, Y. (2004). Cardiovascular responses during a competitive mirror drawing task. Japanese Journal of Physiological Psychology and Psychophysiology, 22, 237–246.

  • Niederle, M., & Vesterlund, L. (2007). Do women shy away from competition? Do men compete too much? The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 122, 1067–1101.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Obrist, P. A. (1976). The cardiovascular-behavioral interaction—as it appears today. Psychophysiology, 13, 95–107.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Obrist, P. A., Gaebelein, C. J., Teller, E. S., Langer, A. W., Grignolo, A., Light, K. C., & McCubbin, J. A. (1978). The relationship among heart rate, carotid dP/dt, and blood pressure in humans as a function of the type of stress. Psychophysiology, 15, 102–115.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ogawa, T., Monchi, R., Kikuya, M., & Suzuki, N. (2000). Development of the general affect scales. The Japanese Journal of Psychology, 71, 241–246.

  • Ӧhman, A., Nordby, H., & Svebak, S. (1989). Components of type A behavior and task-induced cardiovascular activation. Psychophysiology, 26, 81–88.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Penaz, J. (1973). Photoelectric measurement of blood pressure, volume and flow in the finger. In Digest of the 10th International Conference on Medical and Biological Engineering (Vol. 104). Dresden: Conference Committee of the International Conference on Medicine and Biological Engineering.

    Google Scholar 

  • R Core Team. (2016). R: A language and environment for statistical computing. Vienna: R Foundation for Statistical Computing URL https://www.R-project.org/.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ricarte, J., Salvador, A., Costa, R., Torres, M. J., & Subirats, M. (2001). Heart rate and blood pressure responses to a competitive role-playing game. Aggressive Behavior, 27, 351–359.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Salvador, A. (2005). Coping with competitive situations in humans. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 29, 195–205.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Salvador, A., & Costa, R. (2009). Coping with competition: neuroendocrine responses and cognitive variables. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 33, 160–170.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Salvador, A., Costa, R., Hidalgo, V., & González-Bono, E. (2017). Causal attribution and psychobiological response to competition in young men. Hormones and Behavior, 92, 72–81.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Seery, M. D., Weisbuch, M., & Blascovich, J. (2009). Something to gain, something to lose: the cardiovascular consequences of outcome framing. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 73, 308–312.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sherwood, A., & Turner, J. R. (1995). Hemodynamic responses during psychological stress: implications for studying disease processes. International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 2, 193–218.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sherwood, A., Dolan, C. A., & Light, K. C. (1990). Hemodynamics of blood pressure responses during active and passive coping. Psychophysiology, 27, 656–668.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Skinner, N., & Brewer, N. (2004). Adaptive approaches to competition: challenge appraisals and positive emotion. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 26, 283–305.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tezuka, Y., Tsuruga, M., Murase, Y., & Suzuki, N. (2007). The influence of cognitive appraisal on the duration of negative emotional experience and cardiovascular response. The Japanese Journal of Psychology, 78, 42–50.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tomaka, J., Blascovich, J., Kelsey, R. M., & Leitten, C. L. (1993). Subjective, physiological, and behavioral effects of threat and challenge appraisal. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 65, 248–260.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Van der Meij, L., Buunk, A. P., Almela, M., & Salvador, A. (2010). Teststeron responses to competition: the opponent’s psychological state makes it challenging. Biological Psychology, 84, 330–335.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wesseling, K. H., De Wit, B., Van der Hoeven, G. M. A., Van Goudoever, J., & Settels, J. J. (1995). Physiocal, calibrating finger vascular physiology for Finapres. Homeostasis., 36, 67–82.

    Google Scholar 

  • Williams, R. B. (1986). Patterns of reactivity and stress. In K. A. Matthews, S. M. Weiss, T. Detre, T. M. Demobroski, B. Falkner, S. B. Manuck, & R. B. Williams (Eds.), Handbook of stress, reactivity, and cardiovscular disease (pp. 109–125). New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Osaka University of Health and Sport Sciences, 1-1 Asashirodai, Kumatori-cho, Sennan-gun, Osaka, 590-0496, Japan

    Daisuke Yamaguchi

  2. School of Health and Sport Sciences, Osaka University of Health and Sport Sciences, 1-1 Asashirodai, Kumatori-cho, Sennan-gun, Osaka, 590-0496, Japan

    Yosuke Tezuka

  3. Department of Psychology, Doshisha University, 1-3 Tatara Miyakodani, Kyotanabe-shi, Kyoto, 610-0394, Japan

    Naoto Suzuki

Authors
  1. Daisuke Yamaguchi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Yosuke Tezuka
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Naoto Suzuki
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Daisuke Yamaguchi.

Ethics declarations

Conflicts of Interest

On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there are no conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Electronic Supplementary Material

Appendix

1 (DOCX 15 kb)

Appendix

2 (DOCX 17 kb)

Appendix

3 (DOCX 23 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Yamaguchi, D., Tezuka, Y. & Suzuki, N. The Differences Between Winners and Losers in Competition: the Relation of Cognitive and Emotional Aspects During a Competition to Hemodynamic Responses. Adaptive Human Behavior and Physiology 5, 31–47 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40750-018-0104-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40750-018-0104-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation