Factors in social comparison of performance influencing actual performance

Seven experiments were conducted which measured changes in the subjects' actual performance resulting from manipulated personal and categorical comparison of performance with another subject. In line with Festinger's (1954) theory of social comparison of ability, it was found that subjects who were visually isolated from sources of evaluation (setting 2, experiment 2 and 3) showed relatively low performance after a VI (very inferior) or VS (very superior) outcome and relatively high performance after an EQ (equal) outcome, whereas subjects who were visually exposed to sources of evaluation (setting 1, experiment 1 and 4) showed relatively low performance only after a VS outcome and relatively high performance after both a VI and EQ outcome. When (also in setting 1) the manipulation of outcome was combined with a manipulation of expectation (experiment 5), it was found that an EQ expectation did not alter the original pattern of outcome effects, but that a VI or VS expectation markedly influenced the effect of outcome: A complete confirmation of VI expectation and an almost complete disconfirmation of VS expectation resulted in relatively high performance, whereas all other combinations of VI or VS expectation with a given outcome resulted in relatively low performance. Finally, it was found that changing the manipulation of personal comparison of performance of the previous experiments into a manipulation of categorical comparison of performance of the previous experiments into a manipulation of categorical comparison of performance (experiment 6a and 6b) resulted in a pattern of data wich was about the opposite of the typical previous pattern. In setting 1 (experiment 6a), the subjects' performance was relatively low after being categorized into a VI or EQ category and relatively high after being categorized into a VS category, whereas in setting 2 (experiment 6b) both the VI and VS categorization resulted in the same performance and the EQ categorzation resulted in a slightly lower performance.     

Effects of task performance and contextual performance on systemic rewards

Evidence from 2 samples of Air Force mechanics supported the hypothesis that contextual performance affects employees' career advancement and rewards over time. Results of hierarchical regressions controlling for experience showed task performance and contextual performance each predicted systemic rewards. Each facet explained separate variance in promotability ratings over 2 years. In both samples, contextual performance explained separate variance in informal rewards but task performance did not. Task performance explained incremental variance in career advancement 1 year later but contextual performance did not. Analyses using correlations corrected for unreliability suggest these results cannot be attributed to measurement error. Contextual performance still explained separate variance in informal rewards, and task performance explained distinct variance in career advancement a year later.     

Predicting sales performance

This study investigated the relative effectiveness of several types of predictors of sales performance in a human resource consulting firm. These predictors included scores on an assessment center, a structured interview, a test of technical knowledge, and a simulated sales presentation. The criterion measure used was supervisory ratings of overall sales performance, or The extent to which this person accomplishes sales quotas. In addition, the skill to skill validity of the counselor selling dimension, which included relating, discovering, supporting, advocating, and collaborating, was assessed. Results indicated that both the structured interview and the assessment center were effective in predicting sales performance, (R=.63, F=7.90, p=.002). Also, this study indicates that performance in each of the skill areas of an assessment center or of an interview is a valid predictor of on the job performance in each of the same skill areas.     

Trust as performance

It is argued that trust is a performative kind and that the evaluative normativity of trust is a special case of the evaluative normativity of performances generally. The view is shown to have advantages over competitor views, e.g., according to which good trusting is principally a matter of good believing (e.g., Hieronymi, 2008; McMyler, 2011), or good affect (e.g., Baier, 1986; Jones, 1996), or good conation (e.g., Holton, 1994). Moreover, the view can be easily extended to explain good (and bad) distrust, where the latter is understood as aimed (narrow-scoped) forbearance from trusting. The overarching framework—which assimilates the evaluative norms of trusting (and distrusting) to performance-theoretic norms—supplies us with an entirely new lens to view traditional philosophical problems about what is involved in trusting and distrusting well and badly, and thus, places our capacity to make progress on problems in this area on a new footing.     

The effect of performance trend on performance ratings occurs through observer attributions,but depends on performance variability

Research regarding the influence of dynamic performance characteristics on performance ratings suggests that raters are remarkably susceptible to observed trends in performance over time, such that systematic trends or patterns in performance can have an undue influence on how performance is evaluated. However, research in this domain has not fully explained how dynamic performance characteristics influence performance judgments. Drawing on attribution theory, we introduce a model whereby the impact of dynamic performance characteristics on subsequent performance judgments occurs through attributions for performance. Then, in three experimental studies, we show that dynamic performance characteristics influence attributions for performance, which in turn affect performance ratings.     

Bender Gestalt test performance as a predictor of differential reading performance

Sixty Ss (two groups of second graders, with differential reading skills and average or above intelligence, matched with regard to CA, IQ, and sex) were compared on Bender test performance. No significant differences were found for rotations, integrations, perseverations, sex, or number of errors on Designs A through 8. Although significant differences were found between groups for both Bender composite scores (p = <.05) and distortion errors (p = <.01), there was no significant difference in the number of students in each group above and below the mean Bender score for that age group.

Poor Bender performance was found as often for good readers as for poor ones. This strongly suggests that Bender performance should be used with extreme caution in predicting or diagnosing poor reading performance.     

The relationship between cognitive performance and electrophysiological indices of performance monitoring

Studies of electrophysiological indices of performance monitoring, such as the error-related negativity (ERN), posterror positivity (Pe), and N2 components of the event-related potential (ERP), suggest that increased ERN and Pe amplitudes and decreased N2 amplitudes are associated with better cognitive flexibility and cognitive control abilities; however, few studies have directly examined the relationship between cognitive performance and ERP indices of performance monitoring. We examined the neuropsychological profile of 89 healthy individuals who performed a modified flanker task. The neuropsychological domains tested included memory, verbal fluency, and attention/executive functioning. Pearson’s correlations and multiple regression analyses showed a significant relationship between measures of attention/executive functioning and ERN amplitude, even when negative affect, reaction time interference, and posterror slowing were controlled. N2 amplitude related only to posterror slowing. The amplitude of the Pe was not significantly related to any cognitive domains. These findings are consistent with recent work indicating that performance monitoring requires attention skills and cognitive flexibility. Implications for the conflict-monitoring and reinforcement-learning theories are discussed.     

When performance goals deter performance: Transfer of skills in integrative negotiations

The current study deals with the ability of teams to learn and transfer complex knowledge across situations and therefore achieve better long term performance. In an experiment on integrative (value-creating) negotiations, High Learning Teams (with learning goals, high learning values, and team discussions) and Low Learning Teams (with performance goals, low learning values, and no team discussions) participated first in a repeated integrative negotiation task and then in a new more complex one. In the first task both types of teams improved their performance over time. However, in the second transfer task, when conditions changed, High Learning Teams performed better than Low Learning Teams. Findings indicate that the High Learning Teams’ advantage cannot be attributed to the discussion alone. Furthermore, for the Low Learning Teams, negative transfer was observed: when faced with a new component, not experienced before, these teams performed worse than teams that had no experience at all.     

Controlling human fixed-interval performance

Both high and relatively constant rates of responding without post-reinforcement pauses and lower rates with pauses after reinforcement are produced by human subjects under fixed-interval (FI) schedules. Such FI rates and patterns may be controlled when subjects are provided with different histories of conditioning and different conditions of response cost (reinforcement penalties per response). Subjects with a conditioning history under ratio schedules typically produce high and relatively constant rates of responding under FI schedules; this responding does not change systematically with changes in FI value. In contrast, subjects with a history under schedules which produce little or no responding between reforcements [such as differential-reinforcement-of-low-rate (DRL) schedules] tend to pause after reinforcement and respond at low rates under FI schedules, whether or not they also have ratio conditioning histories; cost increases the likelihood of this type of performance. For DRL-history subjects, post-reinforcement pauses increase and response rates decrease as FI values increase.     

Anxiety and cognitive-task performance

The performance of individuals high and low in trait anxiety was compared on a cognitive task involving letter transformation. This task was performed in the presence or absence of monetary incentive for superior performance. Adverse effects of anxiety on performance were apparent only on the more complex versions of the letter-transformation task. Analysis of the microstructure of the task indicated that anxiety impaired the rehearsal and storage of task-relevant information. Motivation in the form of monetary incentive improved the performance of low-trait-anxiety Ss, but had no effect on high-trait-anxiety Ss. The findings were discussed with reference to the working memory system and the theory proposed by Eysenck (1979).