Frame-of-Reference Training Effectiveness: Effects of Goal Orientation and Self-Efficacy on Affective, Cognitive, Skill-Based, and Transfer Outcomes

• Published in: Journal of applied psychology Vol. 95; no. 6; pp. 1181 - 1191
• Main Authors: Dierdorff, Erich C, Surface, Eric A, Brown, Kenneth G
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Psychological Association 01.11.2010
• Subjects: Affect; Calibration; Certification; Cognition; Cognitive Structures; Employee Performance Appraisal; Evaluation; Evidence; Feedback (Response); Female; Frame of Reference Measure; Goal Orientation; Goals; Humans; Hypothesis Testing; Individual Differences; Language; Learning; Male; Motivation; Outcomes of Education; Pretests Posttests; Professional Competence; Self Efficacy; Task Performance and Analysis; Training; Transfer of Training
• ISSN: 0021-9010; 1939-1854
• DOI: 10.1037/a0020856

Empirical evidence supporting frame-of-reference (FOR) training as an effective intervention for calibrating raters is convincing. Yet very little is known about who does better or worse in FOR training. We conducted a field study of how motivational factors influence affective, cognitive, and behavioral learning outcomes, as well as near transfer indexed by achieving professional certification. Relying on goal orientation theory, we hypothesized effects for 3 goal orientations: learning, prove performance, and avoid performance. Results were generally supportive across learning outcomes and transfer. Findings further supported a hypothesized interaction between learning self-efficacy and avoid performance goal orientation, such that higher levels of learning self-efficacy mitigated the negative effects of higher performance avoid tendencies. (Contains 3 figures, 3 tables, and 5 footnotes.)