Prevention focus relates to performance on a loss-framed inhibitory control task

Information framing can be critical to the impact of information and can affect individuals differently. One contributing factor is a person's regulatory focus, which describes their focus on achieving gains or avoiding losses. We hypothesized that alignment between individual regulatory focus and the framing of performance feedback as either gain or loss would enhance performance gains from training. We measured participants’ (N=93) trait-level regulatory focus; they then trained in a go/no-go inhibitory control task with feedback framed as gains, losses, or control feedback conditions. Some changes in performance with training (correct rejection rate and response time) were consistent with regulatory fit, but only in the loss-framed condition. This suggests that regulatory fit is more complex than cursory categorization of trait regulatory focus and feedback framing might indicate. Regulatory fit, feedback framing, and task affordances should be considered when designing feedback or including game-like feedback elements to aid training.

The Effects of Relative Performance Information and Framed Information Systems Feedback on Performance in a Production Task

ABSTRACT: Information systems’ reports typically contain quantitative feedback such as monetary values or the number of units sold or produced. We investigate if providing relative performance information (RPI) feedback and framing the feedback in a positive (good job) or negative (poor job) manner induces performance improvements in a repetitive task. We also investigate if feedback framing interacts with performer level, such that framed feedback has a differential effect for low performers, compared to average and high performers. An experiment was conducted using a 3 × 4 × 2 factorial design, crossing feedback framing (positive, negative, or control), relative performance information (no RPI, rank-ordered RPI, percent RPI in first session, percent RPI in second session), and contract type (fixed or variable), using 289 student participants assuming the role of production workers. Results revealed a significant positive effect of providing relative performance feedback and positively framed feedback. The results also indicate an interaction between worker performance level and feedback framing, such that low-performing workers improved performance in response to positive feedback significantly more than average and high-performing workers. Feedback framing did not have an incremental effect over relative performance feedback. These results have implications for the design of accounting information systems in terms of the type of feedback provided to workers.