Deliberately making miskates: Behavioural consistency under win maximization and loss maximization conditions

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Behavioral Economics
• Decision Making

Background:

• Traditional feedback mechanisms often link negative outcomes to detrimental future performance.
• The default human goal is frequently assumed to be win maximization, influencing how feedback is processed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how feedback congruence with goals impacts performance consistency.
• To explore the flexible redefinition of success and the concept of 'losing' in goal-oriented behavior.

Main Methods:

• Utilized gaming paradigms with participants instructed to maximize wins or losses.
• Employed a double dissociation design to analyze behavioral consistency following different feedback types.
• Measured action consistency after experiencing wins and losses under distinct goal conditions.

Main Results:

• Actions following wins were more consistent during win maximization.
• Actions following losses were more consistent during loss maximization, demonstrating a dissociation.
• This indicates that feedback's impact is contingent on its alignment with the participant's current goal.

Conclusions:

• Feedback's effect on performance is not absolute but depends on goal congruence.
• Individuals can flexibly adapt their definition of success based on their objectives.
• Reconsidering the interpretation of 'losing' is crucial when goals are not win-oriented.