EFFECTS OF FEEDBACK ON COGNITIVE PROCESSING AND CHOICE OF DECISION STYLE

A model of cognitive processes is presented. Initial negative feedback on decision results and subordinate acceptance of decisions were hypothesized to increase subjects' use of scripts, evaluations, expectations, and attributions; to increase the variety of cognitive processes used; and to change subjects' choice of decision style. Repeated negative feedback was expected to increase attributions, expectations, evaluations, strategy processing, and the variety of cognitive processing. Repeated positive feedback was expected to increase the use of scripts and to decrease the use of strategy processing. In a laboratory experiment, 59 Ss provided verbal protocols for analysis. Multivariate analysis of variance procedures followed by univariate analyses provided substantial support for the hypothesized effects of decision-results feedback on cognitive processing but not for the effects of feedback on subordinates' acceptance of decisions.