Adults’ Descriptions of a Situation Can Influence Children's Appraisal, Feelings, and Subsequent Psychological Functions

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Reminding children to think about alternatives is a strategy adults often use to promote children’s cognitive flexibility, as well as children’s engagement in and enjoyment of the task. The current study investigated whether the impacts of reminders on kindergarten children’s cognitive flexibility, intrinsic motivation, and mood are moderated by who provides the reminders. Eighty-three healthy 5-year-old kindergarten children were randomly assigned to 2 (Reminder: no reminders vs. Reminders) × 2 (Agent: Tester vs. Partner) conditions. Children’s cognitive flexibility was measured via the Block Sorting Task (Garton and Pratt, 2001; Fawcett and Garton, 2005). Children reported their motivation and mood before Block Sorting, after practicing for Block Sorting, and after the actual Block Sorting. Children’s intrinsic motivation was measured by evaluating children’s choices during a period of free play after Block Sorting. The results revealed that, depending on who provides the reminders, reminding children of alternatives can influence kindergarten children’s performance on Block Sorting, children’s intrinsic motivation, and children’s self-reported mood.

Section: Implications Limitations and Future Directionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of Reminders on Children’s Cognitive Flexibility, Intrinsic Motivation, and Mood Depends on Who Provides the Reminders

Ong

2016

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“…For example, experiments have shown that participants who are sure they have lost a game have more negative expectations and post hoc reconstructions than those who believe they still have a fair chance ( Wilson et al, 2004 ). Whether people feel self-threat might influence people’ reaction and expectation after bad feedback ( Qu and Lim, 2016 ). Some researchers have found that predicting participants’ well-being from a observer perspective and improving a poor test result to an excellent one resulted in higher levels of predicted well-being than those who consistently performed well ( Sjstad et al, 2020 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of current failures on predicted well-being for future success: Different mechanisms of action in high and low self-threat situations

Hou

Wang

et al. 2022

This study explored the effect of current performance on the predicted well-being for future success and its mechanism. This empirical research consists of two experiments. In Study 1, the individual’s predicted well-being of future performance in the tests was lower in good feedback condition compared with bad feedback condition. It means that individuals have a higher expectation of future success after an unimportant loss. Study 2 focused on the moderating role of self-threat situations and the mediating role of affect and self-esteem in the effect of current performance feedback on predicted well-being. The results showed that individuals who got bad feedback have a low predicted well-being of future success only in a high self-threatening condition. Self-threat plays a moderating role between current performance and predicted well-being. The serial mediation role of affect and self-esteem in the negative effect of current performance on predicted well-being holds in high self-threat situations. By specifying the behavioral consequences and analyzing the psychological process in high and low self-threat situations, this research expands the literature on development of appropriate cognitive theories and propose novel measures and practical implications of enhancing predicted well-being.

“…Consistent with the theoretical view, a series of experiments conducted by Moore et al ( 2013a , b , 2014 ) showed that that instructing participants to focus on adequate personal resources to meet task demands successfully enhanced their challenge appraisal, whereas emphasizing high task demands and/or high required effort increased their threat appraisal. Moreover, information about the potential consequences conveyed by the experimenter can also alter participants' appraisals (Qu and Lim, 2016 ). In particular, highlighting the rewards for top performers prior to a motivated performance task engaged participants in a challenge state, whilst emphasizing the punishment for poor performers led them to a threat state (e.g., Moore et al, 2012 , 2013b ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Opportunity or Risk? Appraisal and Affect Mediate the Effect of Task Framing on Working Memory Performance in University Students

Chen

2021

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Working memory (WM) is crucial for reasoning, learning, decision-making and academic achievement. In diverse contexts, how a task is framed pertaining to its demands and consequences can influence participants' task performance by modifying their cognitive appraisals. However, less is known about the effect of task framing on WM performance and the mechanisms. This study examined whether opportunity- and risk-focused task framing would influence university students' WM performance by altering their cognitive appraisals and affective experiences. Ninety-seven university students were randomly assigned to one of the three framing conditions (Opportunity, Risk, vs. Null), and received instructions that differed in consequences (gain for top performers, loss for poor performers, vs. null), goals (approach, avoidance, vs. neutral), and feedback on personal competence (adequate, inadequate, vs. null). Challenge and threat appraisals, affect, and WM performance were measured before and after task framing. Results showed that opportunity-focused task framing improved students' WM performance, whilst risk-focused task framing increased threat appraisal and decreased positive affect, and that challenge appraisal was not altered in any condition. Female students were influenced by task framing to a greater extent than were male students. Mediation analysis revealed that the alteration of threat appraisal and the change in positive affect mediated the effect of task framing on WM performance. Findings highlight the important role of modifying cognitive appraisals and affective responses in optimizing cognitive performance.