Effects of Feedback on Oral Encoding Behaviour

Abstract

The effect of knowledge of performance on oral encoding facility was investigated. Subjects were placed in an oral examination situation and were provided with ostensibly authentic (but actually manipulated) evaluations of their performance while they answered questions. Dependent variables included rate and duration of various hesitation phenomena, voice loudness, and stage fright. Positive feedback was found to have a slight but facilitative effect on encoding, while negative feedback appeared to be generally disruptive in its influence.