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The effect of punishment and feedback on correcting erroneous behavior
Curtis G Calabrese1, Brett R C Molesworth1, Julie Hatfield1
1School of Aviation, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
Introduction:
Understanding the consequences of non-punitive sanctions and feedback for nonintentional deviations (i.e., errors) is important to effective safety policy. This study aims to address a lack of research on the effects of punishment and feedback on correcting erroneous behavior in the context of multitasking.
Method:
A Multi-Attribute Task Battery (MATB-II) was employed to simulate the demands of aviating, an important area of applied safety. Sixty participants were randomly assigned to one of four experimental groups (no intervention, punishment, feedback, punishment + feedback) and asked to perform the MATB-II. Punishment, feedback, and punishment + feedback decreased error and increased performance, with punishment alone having the greatest effect.
Results:
The results highlight the need for behavioral consequences or feedback to reduce erroneous behavior.
Practical Applications:
From an applied perspective, these results have implications for policy and training.
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