Discouraged by Peer Excellence: Exposure to Exemplary Peer Performance Causes Quitting

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Educational Psychology
• Social Psychology

Background:

• Individuals frequently encounter exemplary peer performances, both incidentally and through designed interventions.
• Such exposure can negatively impact motivation and perceived ability to achieve similar success.
• De-identification with a domain is a potential consequence of witnessing superior peer performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how exposure to exemplary peer performances affects motivation and success.
• To examine the psychological mechanisms underlying discouragement by peer excellence.
• To assess the impact of peer assessment in online learning environments on student persistence.

Main Methods:

• Study 1: A natural experiment utilizing peer assessment in a massive open online course (N = 5,740).
• Study 2: An online replication (N = 361) to explore underlying psychological mechanisms.
• Both studies involved exposure to peer performance data, particularly within a peer assessment context.

Main Results:

• Exposure to exemplary peer performances significantly reduced motivation and success perception.
• A substantial proportion of students in the massive open online course (Study 1) withdrew after exposure to high-achieving peers.
• Study 2 identified discouragement and domain de-identification as key psychological responses.

Conclusions:

• Discouragement by peer excellence is a significant phenomenon with implications for educational interventions.
• Understanding social comparison and reference bias is crucial for designing effective learning environments.
• Interventions aiming to foster motivation should carefully consider the potential negative effects of showcasing exemplary peer performance.