Positive feedback enhances motivation and skill learning in adolescents

Studies have shown that feedback indicating good performance facilitates motor skill learning. The present study examined whether enhancing learners’ expectancies through simple encouraging feedback would boost motivation and learning. Adolescent participants performed a linear positioning task. The goal was to move a slide to a target 60 cm to the right and include a reversal movement on the way. Veridical feedback related to spatial accuracy was provided to all participants after each of eight 10-trial practice blocks. An enhanced expectancy (EE) group was given an additional positive feedback statement after each practice block, while a control group received no such feedback. Retention (60 cm target distance) and transfer (45 cm) tests were performed without feedback on the following day. The EE group demonstrated greater movement accuracy than the control group on both tests. Moreover, self-efficacy, intrinsic motivation, positive affect, and interest in continued practice were significantly higher for the EE group after practice and before retention testing. The findings demonstrate that, in line with OPTIMAL theory (Wulf & Lewthwaite, 2016) predictions, enhancing learners’ expectancies by providing positive feedback resulted in benefits for intrinsic motivation and skill learning.