Effects of Performance, Individual Differences, and Arousal on Feedback-SeekingBehavior in a Novel Computer Based Task

摘要

This report focuses on how situational characteristics affect feedback seeking.It also examines how individual differences in feedback propensities affect feedback seeking. Proposed antecedents of feedback eliciting (overt feedback seeking) were examined utilizing a computer-based technique that permitted objective measurement of the behavior. A 2 X 2 research design was used, with two levels of social presence (an observer present or absent) and two different task rationales (evaluating the task, evaluating the participant). Feedback eliciting was operationalized in two complementary ways-as the number of times the participant elicited feedback, and as the number of seconds he or she spent examining feedback information. Two types of feedback were examined: (1) outcome feedback, or information about level of performance, and (2) process feedback, or information about how to improve performance. Separate hypotheses were formulated for each. In addition, to social presence and task rationale, the following variables were hypothesized to affect feedback eliciting: performance, arousal (measured as state anxiety), external feedback propensity, task-specific internal feedback ability, task familiarity, internal feedback propensity, self-esteem, locus of control, tolerance for ambiguity, and need for achievement.