The effects of type of feedback upon a learner's affective behavior
Date
1976
Authors
Shearer, William Keith
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Abstract
There is much evidence to show the various effects of punishment and reward on the different aspects of teaching, particularly those in the cognitive domain. The area which has received very little attention, is that of affect, more particularly, how punishment and reward affect a learner's feeling (affect) toward different subjects. The purpose of this study was to determine how different types of feedback relative to a learning task, affect a learner's affective behavior. It was hypothesized that a learner who received punishment, with no informational feedback, for every response he made on a given learning task would show a lower measure of affect, when rated )n various behavioral measures, based on the major levels of Krathwohl's Affective Taxonomy than learners receiving other types of feedback combinations such as reward-only, reward and punishment, or punishment only.
The study employed a 1 X 3 factoral design with four levels of feedback, namely: Reward-Only (R-O), Reward and Punishment (R-P), Punishment-Only (P-O) and Punishment for All Responses (P-AR). A directional hypothesis, stating that the (R-O), (R-P) and (P-O) groups would have significantly higher affective scores than the (P-AR) group, was tested. A total of 42 children in six grade four classes in the Greater Victoria School District were randomly assigned to four experimental groups.
All subjects read a three page lesson on the different rules for defining a three-attribute, conjunctive concept. The Ss were then required to complete a card-sorting task, after which their affective behavior toward the concept they had learned was assessed, using Krathwohl's Affective Taxonomy as the basis for the measure. On the card-sorting task the Ss were given various combinations of feedback according to the group they were in. A response board containing a panel of lights was used. The addition or subtraction of lights from the panel served as the basis for the manipulation of reward and punishment in the study. The lights represented points which could be exchanged a t the end of the lesson for either candy or gum.
One-way ANOVAs were performed on six dependant variables, representing affective-type behavior based on the first three of the five major levels of Krathwohl's Taxonomy, and the card-sort results. No significant results were apparent. However, on closer scrutiny of the da ta, it was noted that there appeared to be differences in the Ss scores on five of the variables when the Ss were grouped on the basis of those Ss scoring low and those Ss scoring high on the card-sort. It was posited that lack of understanding, resulting in poor scores was more punishing than the mild form of punishment used in the "punishment" conditions. Thus the data were regrouped into the categories of low and high scores on the card-sort. Significant differences on three of the five variables (P <. 05) were noted, providing some support for the initial hypothesis. Implications are that further studies need to be conducted, using punishment and reward, and Krathwohl's Affective Taxonomy as a means of assessment.