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Career goal engagement following negative feedback: Influence of expectancy-value and perceived feedback accuracy

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Abstract

This study addresses the effects of negative attainability feedback on the shift from engagement to disengagement from a career goal. It was hypothesized that negative attainability feedback regarding study choice may lead to both goal engagement and goal disengagement and that this relation is mediated by self-efficacy, motivational beliefs, and by the perceived accuracy of feedback. Results confirmed that negative feedback led to goal disengagement and, to a lesser extent, to continued engagement. Perceived accuracy of feedback was an important mediator, as was motivation. Self-efficacy did not predict either goal management strategies.

Résumé

L’engagement dans un objectif de carrière à la suite d’un feedback négatif : L’influence de la valeur attendue et de la précision perçue du feedback. Dans cette étude nous évaluons les effets de feedbacks négatifs concernant la réalisation d’un but sur le passage de l’engagement au désengagement vers un objectif de carrière. Nous faisons l’hypothèse que, dans le cadre d’un choix d’études, un feedback négatif sur la réalisation de son but peut amener une personne à un engagement ou un désengagement par rapport à son objectif. De plus, cette relation serait modérée par l’auto-efficacité, les croyances motivationnelles et la précision perçue du feedback. Les résultats confirment qu’un feedback négatif entraine un désengagement par rapport à l’objectif fixé et, dans une moindre mesure, au maintien de cet engagement. La précision perçue du feedback est un médiateur important tout comme la motivation. L’auto-efficacité n’a pas permis de prédire les stratégies de gestion d’objectis.

Zusammenfassung

Laufbahnziel-Engagement nach negativem Feedback: Einfluss der Erwartungen und der wahrgenommenen Genauigkeit des Feedbacks. Diese Studie beforscht die Auswirkungen von negativem Feedback bezüglich der Erreichbarkeit eines Laufbahnziels auf das Engagement in Richtung des Laufbahnzieles. Es wurde postuliert, dass ein negatives Feedback bezüglich der Zielerreichung bei der Studienwahl sowohl zu Engagement als auch zu Disengagement führen kann und dass diese Beziehung durch die Selbstwirksamkeit, motivationale Überzeugungen sowie durch die wahrgenommene Genauigkeit des Feedbacks meditiert wird. Die Ergebnisse bestätigten, dass negatives Feedback zu Ziel-Disengagement und in geringerem Maße zu fortgesetztem Engagement führte. Die wahrgenommene Genauigkeit des Feedbacks war ein wichtiger Mediator, ebenso die Motivation. Selbstwirksamkeit konnte das Laufbahnziel-Verhalten nicht voraussagen.

Resumen

Compromiso con las metas de carrera tras recibir retroalimentación negativa: Influencia de las expectativas, valor de la meta y la percepción sobre la retroalimentación recibida. Este estudio aborda los efectos que puede tener la retroalimentación negativa sobre la consecución de metas, en el cambio del compromiso con una meta de carrera hacia un alejamiento de la misma. Se planteó la hipótesis de que la retroalimentación negativa sobre decisiones académico-profesionales, entre ellas la elección de estudios, puede conducir tanto a afianzar el compromiso con la meta de carrera, como a la desvinculación con la misma y que esta relación está mediada por la autoeficacia, las creencias motivacionales y la percepción de la precisión de la retroalimentación. Los resultados confirmaron que la retroalimentación negativa llevó al alejamiento de la meta y, en menor medida, al compromiso continuado. La percepción sobre la precisión de la retroalimentación fue un mediador importante, al igual que la motivación. La autoeficacia no predijo la estrategia de gestión de metas.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Developmental, Personality and Social Psychology, Ghent University, Henri Dunantlaan 2, 9000, Ghent, Belgium

    Lot Fonteyne & Filip De Fruyt

  2. Counselling Office, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium

    Annick Eelbode & Isabelle Lanszweert

  3. Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, Henri Dunantlaan 2, 9000, Ghent, Belgium

    Elisabeth Roels, Stijn Schelfhout & Wouter Duyck

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  1. Lot Fonteyne
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  2. Annick Eelbode
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  3. Isabelle Lanszweert
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  4. Elisabeth Roels
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  6. Wouter Duyck
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  7. Filip De Fruyt
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Correspondence to Lot Fonteyne.

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Fonteyne, L., Eelbode, A., Lanszweert, I. et al. Career goal engagement following negative feedback: Influence of expectancy-value and perceived feedback accuracy. Int J Educ Vocat Guidance 18, 165–180 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10775-017-9353-2

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