“The Superstar Effect”

Great competition doesn’t always inspire greatness. When people compete against a superior peer at the top of his game (like Tiger Woods), they often don’t rise to the challenge. Instead, they often just give up. This phenomenon is called the “superstar effect,” and according to a paper by Northwestern professor Jennifer Brown, “Woods is such a dominating golfer that his presence in a tournament can make everyone else play significantly worse. Because his competitors expect him to win, they end up losing; success becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.”