Tangible Self-Consequation and Arithmetical Problem-Solving: An Exploratory Comparison of Four Strategies

Abstract

In an exploratory investigation, 25 volunteer postgraduate students were exposed to a control and four self-consequation conditions of positive and negative reward and positive and negative punishment. The experimental tasks were arithmetic problems matched for difficulty. Generally, the results indicated that, when subjects were operating under the two self-reward conditions whereby they self-reinforced correct responses, they attempted more items and produced more correct responses. Conversely, as predicted, participants in the two self-punishment conditions were more accurate.