Under task-involving feedback, pre-task person praise reduces motivation and indirectly lowers task performance; under ego-involving feedback it indirectly raises performance¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · causal r2 · q3
Currency · newest study 2026 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i? The index of moderated mediation on performance through motivation is significant (effect = 6.17, 95% CI = 3.68 to 8.75). → Cheng-Hong Liu 2026 q3 i? The indirect effect of person praise on performance via trials is negative under task-involving feedback (−4.3, CI −6.51 to −2.07) and positive under ego-involving feedback (1.87, CI 0.56 to 3.15). → Cheng-Hong Liu 2026 (2)

Evidence¶

Cheng-Hong Liu 2026¶

Cheng-Hong Liu, Xian-Rui Yin. (2026). Effects of person praise on students' motivation and performance under ego-involving and task-involving feedback conditions. Instructional Science (2026) 54:34. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11251-026-09789-0

q3 · i? · causal · r2

In the PROCESS Model 7 moderated mediation analysis of the 146-participant experiment, the index of moderated mediation for the PP→trials→performance path was "effect = 6.17, 95% CI = 3.68 to 8.75"; trials significantly predicted performance (b = 2.38, t = 12.4, p <.001).

"More importantly, the index of moderated mediation was also significant (effect = 6.17, 95% CI = 3.68 to 8.75; Hypothesis 2), indicating that FM moderated the indirect effect of PP on task performance through the number of trials."

Cheng-Hong Liu 2026 (2)¶

Cheng-Hong Liu, Xian-Rui Yin. (2026). Effects of person praise on students' motivation and performance under ego-involving and task-involving feedback conditions. Instructional Science (2026) 54:34. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11251-026-09789-0

q3 · i? · causal · r2

Bootstrap conditional indirect effects in the same model showed a negative indirect effect under task-involving feedback ("indirect effect = −4.3, 95% CI = −6.51 to −2.07") and a positive one under ego-involving feedback (indirect effect = 1.87, 95% CI = 0.56 to 3.15), based on 10,000 bootstrap samples.

"The results for the conditional indirect effects showed that the mediation of PP on task performance through the number of trials was negative under the task-involving feedback condition (indirect effect = −4.3, 95% CI = −6.51 to −2.07)."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Students generally attempted fewer items under ego-involving than task-involving feedback, but among praised students the gap was not significant — related
• Person praise and feedback manner significantly interact on task motivation, such that praise raises trials under ego-involving feedback and lowers them under task-involving feedback — related
• Person praise raises state self-esteem (d = 0.40), and under task-involving feedback higher state self-esteem is negatively related to motivation, supporting a distraction mechanism only in the low-threat condition — related
• Praise for intelligence, rather than for effort, after success undermines children's motivation and performance after a later failure — related