Competitive interaction exist in many formulations, especially in the case of hydrophobically modified polymers (HMPs), surfactants, and particles of differing surface hydrophobicities. Here we wish to explore the solution structure of HMPs in the presence of a series of particles to probe the relative effects of polymer-polymer association and polymer-particle adsorption. This proposal focusing on binary systems (polymer/particle) should be read in conjunction with two others being submitted in this round where we examine the (other) binary polymer/surfactant system and ultimately, the ternary system; polymer/surfactant/particles.