Abstract
Four groups were trained on a pursuit-rotor task which they continued until they “became bored or tired.” After each trial one group was informed that their performance was “good” and a second group that theirs was “poor.” A third group was initially rated “good” and then shifted to “poor,” while the fourth group was shifted from “poor” to “good.” Persistence in responding suggested a “negative contrast effect” following the shift from “good” to “poor,” but no corresponding “positive contrast effect” occurred. No effect on accuracy of performance was obtained. These results are analogous to those obtained in conditioning studies.
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May, R.J., Black, R.W. Persistence of responding on a perceptual-motor task following shifts in informative feedback. Psychon Sci 22, 233–234 (1971). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03332587
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03332587