Relationship of Cooperative or Competitive University Climate with the Positive Creativity in Russian Students

RUDN Journal of Psychology and Pedagogics. 2025. Vol. 22. No. 1. P. 175–194.

Berrios Callejas S. A., Kodja E., Bultseva M. A.

Aim. Creativity is one of the key competences that educational organizations should develop in their students. Considering the valence of creative ideas and their consequences, this study addresses the question of the relationship between cooperation and competition as aspects of college climate with students’ positive creativity.

Method. A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of 341 college students with the help of PISA’s measurement of cooperation and competition and the task from “Test of realistic problem situations,” adapted to measure positive creativity in a college context.

Results. The results have shown that there is no significant relationship between cooperative climate and positive creativity, but that a competitive climate contributes to students' positive creativity.

Conclusion. Discussion of the results addresses consequences of the cooperative and competitive climates in a broader perspective as well as the specific characteristics of everyday positive creativity in a social domain. In general, study shows that competitive climate can lead to more pronounced positive social creativity, probably as a defensive strategy.

Keywords: competition, creativity, cooperation, college climate, positive creativity

Publication based on the results of: Comparative studies of culture and subjective well-being: differentiation and integration of societies in the context of global challenges (2025)