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Access Type

WSU Access

Date of Award

1-1-2009

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Ira Firestone

Abstract

ABSTRACT

This study examined whether a sense of control moderated the relationship between self-regulation and performance on an anagram task. High school students agreeing to participate in this study completed the Behavioral Inhibition/Behavioral Approach Scale (BIS/BAS) in order to determine individual promotion or prevention chronic self-regulatory strategies, as well as the revised Children's Attributional Style Questionnaire (CASQ-R) to determine a sense of control based on explanatory style. Changes in mood and performance on anagram tasks were measured at three different times during the study: prior to, after, and after discrediting randomly assigned negative or positive feedback. Performance tasks were designed to facilitate advancing (promotion) or vigilant (prevention) chronic self-regulatory strategies. Random feedback was given to students after completing the first set of anagrams and then discredited after the second set of anagrams to determine who was more likely to experience lingering effects of negative or positive feedback. Results indicated moderator effects after feedback with inhibitory behaviors being more predictive of performance, and students described as prevention-optimists most likely to increase performance scores after receiving positive feedback. Although results indicated no significant effects on mood, some interesting trends regarding performance and self-knowledge suggest changes in affect may be associated with feedback.


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