Ever find yourself utterly determined to stick to a plan, only to be thrown off course by unexpected twists? Picture this: You're a student working diligently on a big assignment, and despite unforeseen challenges, you’re firmly committed to your initial plan. Now, imagine a world where introducing a simple reward system could potentially change this scenario. Intrigued? Well, a recent study by Fröber and Dreisbach (2023) investigates this very topic. The study suggests that predictability in task environments plays a crucial role in how rewards impact persistence. Previous research has primarily focused on how rewards influence task choices but disregarded their potential effects on the broader aspects of action control and individuals’ behavior in the pursuit of goals (Fröber et al., 2019). Understanding how rewards impact different levels of action control is a potential avenue for future studies. Fröber and Dreisbach’s study also highlights the need to unpack the psychological mechanisms that underlie the interaction between rewards and flexibility in goal persistence.
Fröber and Dreisbach (2023) conducted three experiments with 161 undergraduate students from the University of Regensburg. The participants in the study were given three tasks: a number task, a letter task, and a symbol task. For the number task, participants categorized numbers as smaller or larger than 153. In the letter task, they categorized letters as closer to A or closer to Z. The symbol task asked participants to categorize symbols as containing only straight lines or both straight and curved lines. The study measured the main dependent variable, the voluntary task switching rate (VSR), as well as additional measures, including choice reaction times (CRT), target reaction times (RT), and error rates. VSR served as an indicator of participants' flexibility in adapting to task demands, while CRT and RT provided insights into their decision-making speed and cognitive control. Error rates reflected the accuracy of participants' responses, which demonstrated cognitive flexibility. Findings from the study revealed that increasing stability in task goals did not inevitably lead to increased behavioral rigidity. The study showed that our brains can adjust to different situations, making us more flexible, even in situations where we'd normally expect to be inflexible.
The study's findings have important implications for both educators and students. When planning curriculum and assignments, teachers should take into consideration the need for balance between stability and flexibility in goal-setting for their students: balancing persistence with flexibility is critical for student success. For example, a student who sets a daily goal to study 20 textbook pages per day might need to adapt their strategy to studying 5 key concepts per day when faced with an unexpected family emergency. Students can apply this knowledge to navigate challenges and optimize their study sessions by being adaptable and switching tasks as needed.
Fröber and Dreisbach (2023) explore factors beyond predictiveness, such as task difficulty and working memory capacity, that modulate the relationship between persistence and reward. Future EPIC studies can further investigate the interplay between predictiveness, adaptability, persistence, and reward.
If you want to learn more about the study, check it out at:
https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2023-66180-001
This post is written by Tristin Yun.
Reference:
Fröber, K., Pfister, R., & Dreisbach, G. (2019). Increasing reward prospect promotes cognitive flexibility: Direct evidence from voluntary task switching with double registration. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 72(8), 1926-1944.
Fröber, K., & Dreisbach, G. (2023). You can(’t) always get what you want: When goal persistence requires flexibility. Motivation Science, 9(3), 193–204. https://doi.org/10.1037/mot0000297
