Effects of Varying Feedback Accuracy on Task Acquisition: A Computerized Translational Study

• Published in: Journal of behavioral education Vol. 22; no. 1; pp. 1 - 15
• Main Authors: Hirst, Jason M., Reed, Florence D. DiGennaro, Reed, Derek D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston Springer Science and Business Media, Inc 01.03.2013; Springer US; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Academic Achievement; Academic learning; Accuracy; Behavioral psychology; Behavioral Science and Psychology; Behavioral Sciences; CAI; Child and School Psychology; Comparative Analysis; Computer assisted instruction; Computer software; Conceptualization; Discrimination Learning; Educational research; Experimentation; Feedback; Feedback (Response); History instruction; Individual Differences; Learning; Learning and Instruction; Mental stimulation; Nonsense; Observational research; Original Paper; Psychology; Stimuli; Task analysis; Teaching Methods; Verbal Stimuli; Match-to-sample; Computerized instruction; Feedback; Acquisition; Teaching
• ISSN: 1053-0819; 1573-3513
• DOI: 10.1007/s10864-012-9162-0

Research has shown that the accuracy of instructions influences responding immediately and under later conditions. The purpose of the present study was to extend this literature and use a translational approach to assess the short-and long-term effects of feedback accuracy on the acquisition of a task. Three levels of inaccurate feedback were compared across groups. Participants who received accurate feedback performed best, while participants exposed to inaccurate feedback performed poorly in direct relation to the degree of inaccuracy. Once inaccurate feedback was corrected, this relation was less apparent. However, the effects of prior exposure to inaccurate feedback persisted in subsequent conditions when participants were exposed to accurate feedback. The effects of feedback accuracy on task acquisition also varied across individuals, suggesting that the effect may be idiosyncratic.