The influence of feedback statement sequence and goals on task performance.

The purpose of the present study was to examine the use of combined positive and corrective feedback statements to improve performance in the presence of a performance goal. A within-subjects design was used to expose participants to 4 feedback statement sequences: (a) no feedback; (b) PCP (positive, corrective, positive); (c) CPP (corrective, positive, positive); and (d) PPC (positive, positive, corrective). Providing participants with a combination of positive and corrective feedback statements, regardless of sequence, was hypothesized to lead to higher task performance than not providing feedback. Ad hoc analyses were conducted to examine the most preferred feedback statement sequence and type of feedback (positive or corrective), as well as the influence that core self-evaluation, job satisfaction, goal commitment, and stress on performance. Results revealed that task performance was higher when feedback, in general, was provided; a statistically significant difference in task performance did not exist across the 3 feedback statement sequences. Despite the lack of differential effects on performance, 47% of participants identified the session during which they received the CPP feedback statement sequence as their most preferred. Further, 53% of participants self-reported they preferred positive feedback, while 25% preferred corrective feedback. Individual preferences for feedback statement sequences support the need for open communication between the feedback receiver and provider to increase task performance.