Abstract
After receiving deliberately inaccurate negative feedback from a female confederate on role-play performance, with resultant decrease in efficacy expectations, subjects were assigned to one of four groups: (a) additional role-play with no feedback, (b) additional role-play and experimenter discrediting of the initial negative feedback, (c) additional role-play with positive feedback from confederate, and (d) experimenter discrediting. The no-feedback group showed significantly less recovery than the other conditions on two of the three efficacy measures, whereas the role-play with positive feedback and the experimenter discrediting groups demonstrated comparable recovery on all efficacy measures. No significant differences were found on the third measures of efficacy expectations. Also, the role-play with positive feedback group anticipated greater role-play “ease” than the role-play with no feedback and the role-play with discrediting conditions. Positive correlations were found between clarity of subjects' attributions for initial negative feedback and the “strength” of their efficacy ratings for future performance. Efficacy expectations also correlated positively with external ratings of self-expressiveness, but not with friendliness and self-assuredness. Results are discussed in light of recent studies on schematic biases and their disabuse.
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This research was supported in part by Grants MH 24327 and 40196 from the National Institute of Mental Health, awarded to the second author. The authors would like to thank Michael Palij for his suggestions on the statistical analyses, and Duane Kemp, Philip C. Kendall, and Joseph Stets for their comments on an earlier version of this paper. In addition, we'd like to acknowledge the excellent work done by our four undergraduate confederates, Charleen Butchko, Debbie Dolan, Mara Karpel, and Andrea Vogel.
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Newman, C., Goldfried, M.R. Disabusing negative self-efficacy expectations via experience, feedback, and discrediting. Cogn Ther Res 11, 401–417 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01175352
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01175352