Identifying the relation between feedback preferences and performance

Evaluating feedback frequency preference and its relation to task performance

Many researchers have evaluated how characteristics of feedback may influence trainee performance, but relatively little attention has been allocated to directly assessing trainee preference for feedback characteristics and its relation to performance. Thus, the primary purpose of this study was to use a within-subject experimental design to directly assess trainee preference for the frequency of feedback and its relation to task performance. A secondary objective was to evaluate how trainee preferences varied across specific task components based on component complexity. Thirty-five undergraduate students completed two arbitrary tasks and were given the opportunity to request feedback after each component of the task. For 85.71% of our participants, an inverse relation was observed between preference for feedback frequency and task performance. Participants requested feedback less often as performance improved. Feedback preferences also varied with the complexity of each component of the task. Implications for training, supervision, and feedback practices are discussed.

A further investigation regarding the efficacy of and preference for positive and corrective feedback

Although feedback is a widely used intervention for improving performance, it is unclear what characteristics individuals prefer and what is necessary for it to be effective. The purpose of this study was to systematically extend Simonian and Brand (2022) by addressing the limitations of the study and adding a best-treatment phase. During an acquisition phase, participants received either positive, corrective, or no feedback upon task completion. Nine of 10 participants mastered the task that was associated with corrective feedback, and one participant mastered the task with no feedback. Eight participants completed a preference phase in which they were provided a choice of either positive or corrective feedback when learning to play a novel game. Half of the eight participants showed a preference for corrective feedback, and the remaining participants had mixed preferences. Overall, corrective feedback was more efficacious and more preferred than positive feedback.

A review of the concurrent-chains arrangement to assess intervention choice: 2018-2023

The purpose of this review is to summarize recent literature on the use of concurrent-chains arrangements in the assessment of preference for interventions (or intervention components) in the applied literature. The types of interventions and participants are described briefly, and procedural variations, ethical considerations, and recommendations for future research are discussed.

Training individuals to implement discrete-trial teaching procedures using behavioral skills training: A scoping review with implications for practice and research

Behavioral skills training (BST) is an evidence-based approach for training individuals to implement discrete-trial teaching procedures. Despite the effectiveness of this approach, implementing BST can be time and resource intensive, which may interfere with a clinical organization's adoption of this training format. We conducted a scoping review of studies using BST components for training discrete-trial teaching procedures in peer-reviewed articles between 1977 and 2021. We identified 51 studies in 46 publications involving 354 participants. We coded descriptive data on (a) participant characteristics, (b) study characteristics, (c) training conditions (including instructions, modeling, rehearsal, and feedback), and (d) training outcomes. The results indicated that studies have primarily attempted to improve the efficacy and efficiency of BST by modifying or omitting common training components. We provide best-practice considerations for using BST to teach discrete-trial teaching procedures and offer a research agenda to guide future investigation in this area.

Paying for Supervision: Barriers, Solutions, and Opportunities

In some situations, those requiring supervision to meet Behavior Analyst Certification Board supervised fieldwork requirements, maintain certification, or get assistance with a difficult case or ethical dilemma may need to contract with a qualified supervisor and pay them directly. Although it is not considered to be a multiple relationship, the financial component does carry an inherent conflict of interest, which can create barriers to effective and appropriate supervision. In this article we propose a list of barriers that may arise in this particular supervisory relationship and potential solutions to manage each one, with a particular focus on supervised independent fieldwork. We also discuss unique learning opportunities that may arise from this situation that may be beneficial to both the trainee and supervisor.

Assessing the efficacy of and preference for positive and corrective feedback

Feedback is an effective strategy for improving performance and consists of multiple characteristics. One characteristic that can influence feedback efficacy is its nature (whether feedback is positive or corrective) and little is known about the conditions under which individuals may prefer corrective over positive feedback. Thus, the purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of and preference for positive and corrective feedback during the acquisition of novel tasks. In the first phase, participants received either positive, corrective, or no feedback across three novel tasks. Participants only mastered the task in which they received corrective feedback. In the second phase, participants chose to receive either positive or corrective feedback after completing trials of the previous phase's control task. All participants chose to receive corrective feedback more frequently than positive feedback. We discuss the implications of the results for feedback delivery in the workplace and provide suggestions for future research.