Differential Effects of Regulatory Fit on Category Learning

Overview

Journal J Exp Soc Psychol

Date 2009 May 5

PMID 19412324

Citations 14

Authors

Lisa R Grimm

Arthur B Markman

W Todd Maddox

Grant C Baldwin

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Motivation affects the degree to which people engage in tasks as well as the processes that they bring to bear. We explore the proposal that a fit between a person's situationally-induced self-regulatory focus and the reward structure of the task that they are pursuing supports greater flexibility in processing than does a mismatch between regulatory focus and reward structure. In two experiments, we prime regulatory focus and manipulate task reward structure. Our participants perform a rule-based learning task whose solution requires flexible strategy testing as well as an information-integration task for which flexible strategy use hinders learning. Across two experiments, we predict and obtain a three-way interaction between regulatory focus, reward structure, and task. Relative to a mismatch, a match leads to better rule-based task performance, but worse performance on the information-integration task. We relate these findings to other work on motivation and choking under pressure.

Citing Articles

Stable, flexible, common, and distinct behaviors support rule-based and information-integration category learning.

Roark C, Chandrasekaran B NPJ Sci Learn. 2023; 8(1):14.

PMID: 37179364 PMC: 10183008. DOI: 10.1038/s41539-023-00163-0.

Stereotype Fit Effects for Golf Putting Nonexperts.

Grimm L, Lewis B, Maddox W, Markman A Sport Exerc Perform Psychol. 2016; 5(1):39-51.

PMID: 27162703 PMC: 4859760. DOI: 10.1037/spy0000047.

Chronic motivational state interacts with task reward structure in dynamic decision-making.

Cooper J, Worthy D, Maddox W Cogn Psychol. 2015; 83:40-53.

PMID: 26520256 PMC: 4648662. DOI: 10.1016/j.cogpsych.2015.09.001.

Social incentives improve deliberative but not procedural learning in older adults.

Gorlick M, Maddox W Front Psychol. 2015; 6:430.

PMID: 25932016 PMC: 4399212. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00430.

End-of-semester syndrome: How situational regulatory fit affects test performance over an academic semester.

Grimm L, Markman A, Maddox W Basic Appl Soc Psych. 2012; 34(4):376-385.

PMID: 22923858 PMC: 3424520. DOI: 10.1080/01973533.2012.693427.

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