Effect of Variability of Bogus Feedback and Contingency of Reward on Self-Reinforcement and Self-Punishment

Abstract

This study tested the prediction that variability of bogus feedback and contingency of reward would produce divergent causal ascriptions which would differentially affect self-reinforcement and self-punishment. While conditions did not lead to differential causal attributions, variability of feedback reduced self-reinforcement but did not affect self-punishment. History of contingent reward resulted in less self-punishment than non-contingent reward but had no effect on self-reinforcement. Self-evaluation, self-reinforcement, and self-punishment were not related to causal attributions. Thus, subjects appeared to respond directly to information about feedback and configurations of reward rather than to the expected causal attributions.