FEEDBACK SIGN AND SITUATIONAL GOAL ORIENTATION: HOW IT AFFECTS PSYCHOLOGICAL STATES AND BEHAVIORS

Abstract

This study sought to understand the effects of situational goal orientation (learning, performance-prove, and performance-avoidance), and how it could interact with feedback sign (positive and negative feedback) to influence psychological states (i.e., off-task thoughts, negative affect, anxiety, and self-efficacy) and performance. This was investigated using a 3 x 2 factorial study. Participants took part in this study online and were randomly assigned into one of the six experimental conditions. Next, participants went through two trials of time-limited task, and their performance for each trial was separately recorded. After each trial participants reported their psychological states. MANOVAs and follow-up analyses were conducted. The results revealed that only feedback sign has main effects on self-efficacy, in which self-efficacy increased following positive feedback and decreased following negative feedback. Most hypotheses in this study were not supported. The potential problems and suggestions for future research were discussed.