Beliefs About the Motivational Benefits of Feedback Predict Well-Being
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Date
2020-05
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The Ohio State University
Abstract
Research demonstrates that resilience (i.e. a person's ability to maintain motivation in the face of feedback; Noble & McGrath, 2012) is associated with greater well-being (i.e. a person's quality of mental health; Huppert, 2009). Past research has demonstrated the motivating role of both positive and negative feedback in goal pursuit (Fishbach, Eyal, & Finklestein, 2010). Whereas positive feedback promotes motivation in situations where people question their commitment to a goal, negative feedback promotes motivation in situations where people question their progress toward a goal. Less is known about whether people understand the benefits of positive and negative feedback. To examine this question, we took a metamotivational approach, which assesses whether people understand how motivation works. Specifically, we sought to examine whether people understand how to be resilient in goal pursuit—i.e., understand the motivational benefits of positive and negative feedback in different goal situations. We also aimed to examine whether people who understand the motivational benefits of positive and negative feedback would experience better well-being. To evaluate these questions, we recruited students (N =110) to complete a scenario-based knowledge assessment that measured the extent to which they understood the motivational benefits of positive vs. negative feedback in situations where they questioned their goal commitment vs. goal progress. Students also completed an assessment of well-being that included measures such as depression (Radloff, 1977), anxiety (Spitzer et al., 2006), and negative affect (Watson et al., 1988) at three time points in the semester. Our findings revealed that students held relatively accurate beliefs about the motivational benefits of positive and negative feedback. Specifically, students recognized that positive feedback serves to reaffirm one's commitment (vs. push them to make progress). By contrast, students understood that negative feedback serves to push one to make progress (vs. reaffirm one's commitment). Importantly, individual differences in these beliefs predicted lower levels of negative affect, depression, and anxiety across a semester. This study highlights the importance of examining the role of people's knowledge about how to be resilient in well-being.
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evaluative feedback, goal pursuit, resilience, well-being