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Cited by 87Flow Experience in Various FieldsEducation, Achievement, and GiftednessSport Psychology and Performance

Well Done! Effects of Positive Feedback on Perceived Self-Efficacy, Flow and Performance in a Mental Arithmetic Task

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Peifer, Corinna, Schönfeld, Pia, Wolters, Gina, Aust, Fabienne, Margraf, Jürgen·2020·Frontiers in Psychology
DOI 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01008PMC PMC7300320
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Abstract

Self-efficacy is a well-known psychological resource, being positively associated with increased performance. Furthermore, results from field studies suggest a positive impact of self-efficacy on flow experience, which has not yet been tested experimentally. In this study, we manipulated self-efficacy by means of positive feedback and investigated whether self-efficacy serves as a mediator in the relationship between positive feedback and flow and in the relationship between positive feedback and performance. Our sample consisted of 102 participants (63 female, 39 male). The experimental group received positive feedback after completing 5 min of mental arithmetic tasks on a computer, whereas the control group received no feedback. A second session of a mental arithmetic task was then completed for 5 min. Mediation analyses confirmed that specific self-efficacy mediated a positive effect of positive feedback on flow as well as on both performance measures (quality and quantity) in a subsequent task. However, direct effects of feedback on flow and on performance were not significant, which suggests the presence of other mechanisms that remain to be investigated.

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Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Peifer, C., Schönfeld, P., Wolters, G., Aust, F., & Margraf, J.
Affiliations
Ruhr University Bochum (DE)
Corresponding author
Peifer, Corinna
ORCID
Venue
Frontiers in Psychology
Publisher
Frontiers Media SA
Published
2020-06-10
Volume
11
Pages
1008-1008
ISSN
1664-1078 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01008
PMC
PMC7300320
OpenAlex
W3035502259
Cited by
87
References
12
Citations by year
2026: 18 · 2025: 24 · 2024: 14 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 1
FWCI
11.70
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Frontiers in Psychology (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Dokumentenrepositorium der RUB (Ruhr University Bochum) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Flow Experience in Various Fields
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Education, Achievement, and Giftedness
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Sport Psychology and Performance
Keywords
positive feedback, self-efficacy, flow experience, task performance, mental arithmetic, mediation, feedback effects

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