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Goals, feedback, and the differential influence of self-regulatory processes on cognitively complex performance

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Abstract

This research examined the hypothesis that the combination of assigned goals and specific performance feedback would moderate relations between self-regulatory processes and performance on a cognitively complex task. The presence/absence of a challenging goal and specific feedback was manipulated factorially. Self-evaluative reactions, self-efficacy perceptions, and personal goals were assessed after an initial trial block. Assigned goals and specific feedback did not affect mean performance levels but, as predicted, significantly moderated the impact of the self-processes. Specifically, self-efficacy perceptions and personal goals affected performance only within the condition combining a challenging goal with performance feedback. Dissatisfaction with one's prior attainments impaired subsequent goal-directed performance. Greatly overestimating one's efficacy on a preperformance assessment impaired performance in the condition combining goals and specific feedback. Differences between effort-based and cognitively complex tasks are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology (m/c 285), University of Illinois at Chicago, 1007 West Harrison Street, 60607-7137, Chicago, Illinois

    Daniel Cervone

  2. University of Western Australia, Australia

    Robert Wood

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  1. Daniel Cervone
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Daniel Cervone was supported by National Institute of Mental Health Grant MH44956. We thank Linda Schaumann for her assistance in conducting this research, and an anonymous reviewer for exceptionally constructive data analysis recommendations.

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Cervone, D., Wood, R. Goals, feedback, and the differential influence of self-regulatory processes on cognitively complex performance. Cogn Ther Res 19, 519–545 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02230512

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