Competitiveness and Approach Anxiety: A Correlational Study

Abstract

“The strong shall live and the weak shall die.” This is how the social world operates. Each single day is an episode in our fight for continued existence. This task is not exclusive to survival only but also holds true when it comes to dating and courtship. The patriarchal Philippine society socializes men to be competitive and have competitive life goals and values. Thus, most Filipino men tend to see their world as a contest, a struggle to preserve independence and avoid failure This research attempts to determine whether there is a significant relationship between the competitive nature of men and the magnitude of approach anxiety that they experience, also to determine the general competitiveness level of Filipino males and the over-all magnitude of their approach anxiety. This research is a correlational study to assess the relationship between the competitiveness level and magnitude of approach anxiety among single, heterosexual, never- married, Filipino males aged 17 to 24 years old, residing in Metro Manila. Convenience sampling method was utilized for the gathering of data. The data collection instruments included a questionnaire containing the SHI or the Survey of Heterosexual Interaction, and another scale formulated by the researcher which made use of the competitiveness index, demographic characteristics as well as personal profile of the respondents. Analysis of the data was carried out with the help of SPSS software version 16, using descriptive frequency and correlational statistics. The findings showed that there exists a significant relationship between the competitiveness level of men and the magnitude of their approach anxiety. Another finding showed that most Filipino men have average competitiveness level but with high magnitude of approach anxiety. There was also a decline in the severity of approach anxiety as the respondent experiences dating and having intimate relationship in the past. Lastly, there was a surprising correlation between the number of female siblings and the magnitude of approach anxiety although this was not statistically significant. The results of this study can be used as evidence for presenting how the competitiveness of Filipino men, as acquired in the society, could be beneficial in the formation of interpersonal relations with the opposite sex. Finally, based on the results of this study, the researcher suggested some recommendations for applying results and conducting further research.