Lexington Relations; ERIC列克星敦关系.pdfVIP

DOCUMENT RESUME ED 361 795 CS 508 307 AUTHOR Hamm, Durell D. TITLE Forensics in the Year 2000: Competition versus Educational Values. PUB DATE 16 Apr 93 NOTE 20p.; Paper presented at the Joint Meeting of the Southern States Communication Association and the Central States Communication Association (Lexington, KY, April 14-18, 1993). PUB TYPE Speeches/Conference Papers (150) Information Analyses (070) Viewpoints (Opinion/Position Papers, Essays, etc.) (120) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC01 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Achievement Need; *Competition; *Debate; *Educational Principles; Higher Education; *Intergroup Relations; *Persuasive Discourse; Undergraduel Students IDENTIFIERS Debate Tournaments ABSTRACT There is a growing dichotomy between the educational value of forensics versus the competitive aspects of individual events for both coaches and students. Competitive behavior has both an instinctual and a cognitive source. The instinctual source can be traced to evolution in a fiercely competitive world. Psychoanalytic theory suggests that the root of competitive behavior is in a diffuse and pervasive aggressive instinct. M. May and L. Doobs cognitive theory of competition heavily emphasizes the concept of the level of aspiration. L. Festingers social comparison process theory posits a universal drive toward self-evaluation of opinions and abilities. The compromise between the need for personal gratification and the need for social acceptance that is appropriate to most life situations is inappropriate to competitive forensics