Investigation of Individual Competitiveness: Perceptions of Students Taking Special Ability Exams

Competition refers to a phenomenon that can affect and direct observable human behaviour. Competitiveness can be a triggering factor in achieving success and focusing on the target. The individual competitiveness scale can provide an opportunity to observe and evaluate students participating in various competitions within the scope of exams. This study seeks to examine the individual competitiveness perceptions of the students who take special talent exams according to some demographic variables. This quantitative study was carried out in a descriptive survey model. The sample of the study consists of 218 students who participated in the special talent exams held in September 2021 at Kahramanmaras Sutçu Imam University Faculty of Sports Sciences. Data were analysed using the statistical software program Jamovi 1.6.12. Arithmetic mean and standard deviation values were determined for data analysis while t-Test and One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were used to determine the differentiation status of participant views in terms of demographic variables, and Post-Hoc tests were used to determine the groups with difference for the significant F value. As a result of the research, it was observed that there were significant relationships between the participants' Individual Competitiveness Scale and the CPT (Core Proficiency Test/Exam) score, age, sports branch and weekly work-out variables according to the "Enjoyment of Competition" sub-scale. According to the ' Competition Avoidance' sub-scale, there were significant relationships in terms of the CPT score, age, and weekly work-out number variables and that there was no significant relationship in terms of sports branch variable. As a result, students' individual competitiveness perceptions were determined in terms of different variables. [For the full proceedings, see ED626668.]