The influence of a competition on noncompetitors

Significance Competitions are prevalent in social life, but it is typical in a competition that the competitors are far outnumbered by people who do not participate in it but are aware of it. In a series of experimental studies, we find that the mere awareness of a competition can affect a noncompetitor’s performance in similar tasks. In our field experiment involving pay-what-you-want entrance at a German zoo, customers who were aware of a...