Task type as a moderator of positive/negative feedback effects on motivation and performance: A regulatory focus perspective

Abstract

SummaryApplying Higgins' regulatory focus theory, we hypothesized that the effect of positive/negative feedback on motivation and performance is moderated by task type, which is argued to be an antecedent to situational regulatory focus (promotion or prevention). Thus, first we demonstrated that some tasks (e.g., tasks requiring creativity) are perceived as promotion tasks, whereas others (e.g., those requiring vigilance and attention to detail) are perceived as prevention tasks. Second, as expected, our tests in two studies of the moderation hypothesis showed that positive feedback increased self-reported motivation (meta-analysis across samples:

The impact of beliefs about face recognition ability on memory retrieval processes in young and older adults

“…Both negative and positive information can either increase or decrease overall performance (for a review, see, Kluger & DeNisi, 1996). Additionally, negative information has a larger impact on performance than positive information on tasks where attention and accuracy are important (e.g., Van Dijk & Kluger, 2011). In our older adults, the positive information we provided may have required a much stronger delivery to overcome negative stereotypes about aging and memory.…”

“…Arguably, therefore, negative information impacted older but not young adults because having performed poorly compared to young adults is in keeping with negative cultural expectations about aging and memory (Meisner, 2012). Hence, older adults may have been more likely to experience stereotype threat, which may have lead them to adopt a prevention motivational focus in which they become focused on avoiding errors of commission (i.e., positively recognizing a face that they did not actually previously encounter) (e.g., Barber & Mather, 2013b;Higgins, 1998;Van Dijk & Kluger, 2011). Further research is needed to address whether negative information promotes stereotype threat in younger and older adults.…”

Evidence for the need to distinguish between self-initiated and organizationally imposed overload in studies of work stress

“…This should contribute to negative feelings such as tension and agitation, which can be expected to adversely affect job satisfaction (cf., Brockner & Higgins, 2001;Van Dijk & Kluger, 2011), and also result in emotional exhaustion (e.g. Lazarus, 1999;McGrath, 1976).…”

Enhancing feedback and improving feedback: subjective perceptions, psychological consequences, behavioral outcomes

“…Another issue concerns individual differences. Is improving feedback likely to be more effective for low than high self-esteem persons (Brown, Farnham, & Cook, 2002), low than high narcissists (Campbell, Rudich, & Sedikides, 2002), incremental self-theorists than entity self-theorists (Plaks & Stecher, 2007), individuals with mastery-approach goals than masteryavoidance goals (Elliot & McGregor, 2001), and persons with a prevention-focus than a promotion-focus orientation (Van Dijk & Kluger, 2010)? Yet another issue concerns cultural context.…”