Although the belief that women are not socialized to be competitive is widely held, research findings in this area are not conclusive. To compare the behaviors and the perceptions of behavior in men and women in a realistic setting, 180 students participated in a 2-hour, two-part simulated job interview that required either competitive or neutral behaviors for success. Both self-report measures and content coding of actual behavior were used. Results were analyzed separately for single-sex and mixed-sex pairs. Few differences emerged in single-sex pairs, but large and consistent gender differences in competitive and affiliative behaviors emerged in the mixed-sex pairs, usually of a stereotypic nature. Men in mixed-sex pairs made more positive statements about themselves and reported being concerned with looking strong. Women in mixed-sex pairs reported trying to avoid conflict. Responses to the competitive and neutral settings were similar. Results suggest that women are capable of acting as competitively as men but may choose not to do so when interacting with men. Men, on the other hand, maintain their competitiveness. (JAC)