THIS EXPERIMENT WAS DESIGNED TO TEST WHETHER STUDENTS WHOSE GRADES ARE PARTLY DETERMINED BY THE PERFORMANCE OF OTHERS IN THE GROUP (THE COOPERATIVE CONDITION) WILL SCORE HIGHER ON EXAMINATIONS THAN THOSE WHOSE GRADES ARE DETERMINED BY THEIR RAW SCORES WITHIN THEIR GROUPS (COMPETITIVE CONDITION). WHEN COGNITIVE LEARNING IN THE COOPERATIVE ENVIRONMENT WAS COMPARED WITH THAT IN THE CONVENTIONAL COMPETITIVE SITUATION, THE MEASURED CHANGE WAS HIGHER FOR THE LATTER. HOWEVER, OTHER PREVIOUS STUDIES OF EFFECTS IN BOTH SCHOOL AND INDUSTRY HAVE SHOWN THAT COMPETITION IS NOT UNQUESTIONABLY SUPERIOR TO COOPERATION AND, FURTHER, THAT COMPETITION PRODUCES ITS DAMAGING EFFECTS IN THE EARLY SCHOOL YEARS. THESE EFFECTS DEPRIVE SOCIETY OF THE TALENTS OF THE NON-ADAPTIVE STUDENTS, SINCE BY HIGH SCHOOL OR COLLEGE THE OTHERS HAVE ACCEPTED THE COMPETITIVE STRUCTURE. IF COOPERATIVE CONDITIONS COULD BE INITIATED EARLY ENOUGH IN THE EDUCATIONAL PROCESS, THE COMPETITIVE CONDITION MIGHT NOT LATER BE SEEN AS SO REASONABLE OR NECESSARY. THE AUTHOR SUGGESTS A SOCIOLOGICAL STUDY OF SCHOOL CLIMATES THAT DO NOT SHARE THE SUSPECTED DETRIMENTAL ASPECTS OF COMPETITION BUT DO SUPPORT OTHER INTELLECTUAL STIMULATION. THIS PAPER WAS PRESENTED AT THE MEETINGS OF THE AMERICAN SOCIOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION (MIAMI BEACH, 1966). (HH)