Differential Effects Of Feedback Research Articles

Feedback Effects on Performance, Motivation and Mood: Are They Moderated by the Learner's Self-Concept?

This study tested the assumption that the effectiveness of feedback with regard to performance, motivation, and affect is moderated by the learners’ self-concept. A total of 72 sixth-graders completed a web-based interactive learning program. Half of the sample received feedback and the other half received no feedback. Differential feedback effects were detected. For students with a positive academic self-concept, feedback led to a decline in performance and in mood but an increase in effort. With regard to participants with a negative self-concept, feedback worked against the decrease in mood but did not increase performance and motivation. These findings support the claim that feedback effects should be assessed with regard to (1) multiple dimensions and (2) possible moderating variables.

Effects of differential feedback on students’ examination performance.

The effects of feedback on performance and factors associated with it were examined in a large introductory psychology course. The experiment involved college students (N = 464) working on an essay examination under 3 conditions: no feedback, detailed feedback that was perceived by participants to be provided by the course instructor, and detailed feedback that was perceived by participants to be computer generated. Additionally, these conditions were crossed with factors of grade (receiving a numerical grade or not) and praise (receiving a statement of praise or not). The task under consideration was a single-question essay examination administered at the beginning of the course. Detailed feedback on the essay, specific to individual's work, was found to be strongly related to student improvement in essay scores, with the influence of grades and praise being more complex. Generally, receipt of a tentative grade depressed performance, although this effect was ameliorated if accompanied by a statement of praise. Overall, detailed, descriptive feedback was found to be most effective when given alone, unaccompanied by grades or praise. It was also found that the perceived source of the feedback (the computer or the instructor) had little impact on the results. These findings are consistent with the research literature showing that descriptive feedback, which conveys information on how one performs the task and details ways to overcome difficulties, is far more effective than evaluative feedback, which simply informs students about how well they did.

Supplemental Material for Effects of Differential Feedback on Students’ Examination Performance

Supplemental Material for Effects of Differential Feedback on Students’ Examination Performance

The Effects of Augmented Feedback on Students' Perceptions and Performance

The effects of augmented feedback on perceptions of ability (SPA), practice behaviors, and performance during motor skill instruction of a novel task were investigated. Fourth-grade students (N = 103) were randomly assigned to one of four conditions: (a) no feedback; (b) motivational feedback; (c) task feedback; or (d) motivation and task feedback. They then practiced simple and complex cupstacking skills. On a relatively simple task, the type of feedback did not have a significant effect on children's SPA, practice behaviors, or performance; but on a more complex task, differential effects of feedback were evident. Results indicate that informational feedback is an important factor in facilitating student engagement, fostering positive perceptions of ability, and ultimately improving performance on a challenging task.

Effects of Differential Feedback Upon the Oral Reading Fluency of Secondary Students With Learning Disabilities

The effects of different types of feedback upon the oral reading fluency (number of words read per minute) of three secondary students with learning disabilities were analyzed to determine whether feedback affected the reading rate of the students. Feedback types included verbal feedback only, visual feedback in the form of performance graphs, and feedback regarding miscue analysis in conjunction with performance graphs. Results indicated that the visual feedback only condition yielded the greatest increase in overall reading rate. However, miscue feedback in conjunction with graphic feedback led to a greater increase in accuracy of words read per minute in timed readings.

Differential Effects of Feedback as a Function of Task Distribution in Teams

Variables affecting the outcome of cooperative team efforts have garnered increased research attention in recent years. Of these variables, feedback may have one of the greatest effects. Questions, however, remain about what kind of feedback to give and to whom. Previous research has indicated that team members maximize those tasks for which they are given feedback. These gains appear to occur at the expense of other tasks for which no feedback is provided and sometimes result in reduced overall team performance. The current experiment investigated the differential effects of feedback in triads with different task distributions. The results of the study indicated that feedback given to team members who had to complete two tasks simultaneously resulted in tradeoffs: Team members optimized that task for which they received feedback, sometimes at the expense of the competing task. When the team members receiving feedback had no competing tasks, these tradeoffs did not occur. In contrast, feedback in this setup appeared to potentially improve performance not only on the task for which feedback was given, but on the competing task as well. A possible explanation is that in these cases, feedback reduced the communication and coordination demands and freed team resources that could be used to improve other tasks.

Differential Effects of Feedback on Preservice Teacher Behavior

While most undergraduate training programs employ traditional training procedures, the quality of teacher preparedness continues to be widely criticized. Although numerous research studies have demonstrated the positive effects of certain teaching practices, training programs have been slow to incorporate them into the curricula. It is possible to evaluate certain teaching behaviors objectively and use the resultant performance feedback both as an instructional tool and a measure of professional development. This study evaluated the relative effectiveness of two forms of performance feedback: traditional field notes and computer-based feedback. The results demonstrated that computer-based feedback specific to a set of teacher behaviors was more effective than the traditional field note approach.

Long-term feedback and differential feedback effects in nonmetric multiple-cue probability learning

The purpose of this research was to study the long-term effects of different types of feedback upon learning and performance of individual human organisms and the sensitivity of such subjects to changes in the validity of information in probabilistic judgment tasks. The subject's task consisted of predicting a binary event on the basis of two or three binary cues whose validity changed on each of five successive days. Subjects received one of three different types of informational feedback about their performance - outcome feedback, cue-event validity feedback, or percentage correct feedback. The results indicated, at least for tasks involving additive cues, that adaptation to new cue validities became more rapid on successive days. The different types of feedback tended to produce different response strategies. However, the different strategies had virtually no effect upon overall judgmental accuracy. Further, there was an apparent interaction between task characteristics and feedback type. This result was found to be consistent with the results of other studies utilizing differential feedback in similar tasks.

Differential effects of feedback and reinforcement in voluntary acceleration of human heart rate.

Six single-subject experiments were conducted: In each experiment, after a stable baseline was established, S was given 8 20-min. trials on which he was to accelerate heart rate with no feedback; next 24 additional 20-min. sessions were given on which S received binary feedback of heart rate; depending upon the experiment, reinforcement in the form of small amounts of money was also given or withdrawn in blocks of 8 sessions; finally generalization was measured in a concluding block of 8 sessions. A significant instruction effect was found in 4 experiments. Further significant increases in heart rate were found in all 6 experiments when feedback was introduced. Although it was established experimentally that contingent presentation of money functioned as a reinforcer for a motor (bar-press) response, its contingent presentation did not yield a consistent advantage in accelerating heart rate.

Effects of differential feedback on opinions of and responses to intelligence tests.

Effects of differential feedback on opinions of and responses to intelligence tests.

Effects of differential feedback from examinations on retention and transfer.

Effects of differential feedback from examinations on retention and transfer.