Show Me What I Could Gain or Lose: Feedback Framing Effects on Intrinsic Motivation and Performance

Abstract

Building on regulatory focus and regulatory fit theories, we identify an important, but previously overlooked explanation for the motivational effects of performance feedback. We argue that investigations exploring the effects of feedback sign on motivation and performance have generally not taken into account the fact that feedback can be framed in ways that emphasize the presence or absence of positive or negative hedonic consequences (i.e., gains and non-gains vs. losses and non-losses). Thus, we propose that the feedback frame interacts with the nature of a prevention task and the person’s chronic prevention focus to predict intrinsic motivation to engage in a task, as well as performance on this task. Using a lab design, and a working population that completed two rounds of an error detection task, we found that results supported our hypotheses. Specifically, on this prevention-oriented task, loss and non-loss framed feedback proved more effective in inducing intrinsic motivation and performance for ...