Learning from failure: The roles of self-focused feedback, task expectations, and subsequent instruction

Previous research indicates that failure feedback leads people to tune out from the task, which is detrimental to their learning (Eskreis-Winkler & Fishbach, 2019; Keith et al., 2022). The current work aims to identify ways to optimize learning from failure feedback. We conducted six preregistered experiments (N = 1,306) to replicate and extend the findings from Eskreis-Winkler and Fishbach (2019) with novel tests of self-focused feedback, task expectations, and subsequent instruction. The detriments of failure feedback were replicated in Studies 1a, 1b, and 1c, which altered the focus of the feedback message to be self-focused (e.g., your answer) or task-focused (e.g., the answer). The detriments of failure feedback were also replicated in Study 2 when the task expectations were manipulated to easy versus hard. These results generally underscored the robustness of the results from the original study. However, Study 3 established boundary conditions. When it was a rule-based task and brief instructions on the rule were provided after feedback, there was no evidence of a detrimental effect of failure, and failure feedback, in some conditions, resulted in even better learning than success feedback for learning new material. We conclude that the tune-out reactions to failure during feedback disappear and may even be reversed when subsequent learning opportunities are provided. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).