EFFECTS OF REALISTIC AND UNREALISTIC CRITERIA FOR PERFORMANCE ON THE STUDYING BEHAVIOR OF EXPERT ADULT READERS

Thirty undergraduates read an extended text about identical twins and completed one of three question‐answering tasks for the purpose of ascertaining the effects of no criterion, a realistic criterion, or an unrealistic criterion on studying behavior. Subjects receiving the unrealistic criterion (i.e., 75 out of a possible 54 similarities) produced significantly more non‐redundant responses to the text‐based question than either the realistic criterion (i.e., 40 out of a possible 54 responses) treatment or the non‐criterion treatment group. The expected difference in performance satisfaction among the treatment groups did not emerge, though a clear link between demonstrated performance satisfaction and second effort at task was shown. There was also a significant difference in reported performance satisfaction from first to second attempts for those subjects choosing the reanswering option.