The Effects of Knowledge of Results upon Reaction Time Performance

Two experiments tested the maintenance of reaction time (RT) speed as a function of a single presentation of knowledge of results (KR) administered early in a series of RT trials to female university students. The results of Experiment 1 (n = 80) indicated that RT performance deterioration across trials in the KR group was significantly less severe than in a no-KR control group and that Ss' explicit goal-setting during the experiment did not appear to contribute to the KR effect. In Experiment 2 (n = 72) evidence was found that the KR influence of Experiment 1 was anchored to an anticipatory function-that is, KR administered early in a series of trials motivated Ss to try harder than before by leading them to believe that they would receive knowledge of their subsequent performance.