The Role of Goal Orientation in Reactions to Normative and Improvement Based Performance Feedback

Achievement goal orientation has been found to be a useful and important construct for academic and organizational contexts. The present study expands upon the research literature by investigating the relationship between an individual's achievement goal orientation and that individual's reactions to and attitudes toward types of evaluation feedback. Specifically, it was hypothesized that goal orientation may moderate the relationships between types of performance feedback (normative feedback or individually-referent feedback) and perceptions of procedural justice, affective responses, and self-regulatory processes including goal setting, goal commitment, and task effort. Additionally, relationships between goal orientation and preferences for normative or individually-referent feedback were investigated, as were relationships between trait and state goal orientation and performance outcomes. Goal orientation constructs in the study included the four factor model (Elliot & McGregor, 2001), three factor model (VandeWalle, 1997), and a state goal orientation measure developed based on the four factor model. 299 undergraduate students participated in the study by completing a computerized scheduling task and survey items. Hierarchical multiple regression was used for the moderator analyses and regression was used to test other hypothesized relationships. Results provided partial support for some moderator hypotheses. Specifically, a significant interaction was found between trait performance-avoid goal orientation and feedback type on positive affect, a significant interaction was found between state performance-avoidance goal orientation and feedback type on positive affect, and a significant interaction was found between state performance-approach goal orientation and feedback type on negative affect. Each of these interactions was consistent with hypothesized relationships between goal orientation and affective reactions to performance feedback. Additionally, results for goal setting indicated a significant interaction between trait performance-avoidance goal orientation and feedback type on goal setting and a significant interaction between trait learning goal orientation and feedback type on goal confidence. Finally, results for effort after receiving feedback on the task indicated a significant interaction between trait performance-avoidance goal orientation and feedback type on effort intentions, and a significant interaction between trait performance-approach goal orientation and feedback type on effort expended during the task. Limitations of the study, future research, and implications of the results are discussed.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2015

Author dc:creator

• Juraska, Suzanne Elizabeth

Contributors dc:contributor

• Drasgow, Fritz

• Psychology, Industrial

Language dc:language

eng

Identifier

(MiAaPQ)AAI3242885

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/82115