An Examination of the Effects of Feedback Accuracy on Academic Task Acquisition in Analogue Settings

Abstract

Performance feedback is a common procedure used in a variety of settings to change behavior. Although reviews of the literature have identified a number of dimensions of performance feedback that are predictive of effectiveness, little research has examined the influence of inaccurate feedback on behavior. The purpose of the present study was to examine both the short- and long-term effects of inaccurate feedback on the acquisition of match-to-sample tasks. The first study adopted a translational, human operant paradigm to evaluate the effects under highly-controlled conditions. Undergraduate students were presented an arbitrary match-to-sample task on a computer. Feedback accuracy was manipulated in an initial phase followed by a condition where only accurate feedback was provided. The second study extended these findings to a more applied setting and population. The results of both studies demonstrated that exposure to inaccurate feedback resulted in the failure to acquire the tasks. Furthermore, a carryover effect was obtained represented by a delay to acquisition following the improvement of feedback accuracy. The behavioral processes behind the results obtained are interpreted through a synthesis of literatures on performance feedback, fidelity, and instructional control. Implications for educational and organizational settings are suggested.