Selective memory searching does not explain the poor recall of future-oriented feedback

Abstract

Feedback is invaluable for learning, yet people frequently fail to remember their feedback. Recent studies have demonstrated that people are better at recalling evaluative, past-oriented feedback than directive, future-oriented feedback. This paper tests one possible explanation: namely, that people neglect to search their memory for directive information they have encoded. Participants (N = 759), attempted to recall feedback they had read about their own (Experiment 1) or another person's performance (Experiments 2A−4). We attempted to foster recall of directive feedback via a structured recall task (Experiments 1−2B) or a perspective-taking instruction (Experiment 3). All experiments replicated the preferential recall of evaluative feedback, but our manipulations did not moderate this bias. Experiment 4 replicated the bias using non-educational feedback, and provided tentative indications that it might not translate beyond the feedback domain. The data suggest that selective retrieval processes are not responsible for people's poor recall of directive feedback.

Publication DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jarmac.2021.01.003
Divisions: College of Health & Life Sciences > School of Psychology
College of Health & Life Sciences
Additional Information: © 2021, Elsevier. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ Funding: This research was funded by the Leverhulme Trust (Research Project Grant RPG-2016-189).
Uncontrolled Keywords: Directive feedback,Education,Evaluative feedback,Memory bias,Structured recall,Experimental and Cognitive Psychology,Clinical Psychology,Applied Psychology
Publication ISSN: 2211-3681
Last Modified: 19 Mar 2024 08:22
Date Deposited: 19 Jan 2021 10:35
Full Text Link:
Related URLs: https://www.sci ... 0048?via%3Dihub (Publisher URL)
http://www.scop ... tnerID=8YFLogxK (Scopus URL)
PURE Output Type: Article
Published Date: 2021-09
Published Online Date: 2021-02-16
Accepted Date: 2021-01-17
Authors: Nash, Robert A. (ORCID Profile 0000-0002-2284-2001)
Winstone, Naomi E.
Gregory, Samantha (ORCID Profile 0000-0002-2601-2873)

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