Performance-approach and performance-avoidance goals: When uncertainty makes a difference

Performance-avoidance goals (the desire to avoid performing more poorly than others do) have been shown to have consistently deleterious effects on performance but the effects of performance-approach goals (trying to outperform others) are more complex. Two studies examine uncertainty as a moderator of the effect of performance- approach goals on performance. Experiment 1 shows that manipulated performance-approach goals lead to better performance than do performanceavoidance goals in the absence of uncertainty about performance but when participants learn that a coactor disagreed with them about problem solutions, creating uncertainty, performance-approach goals do not differ from performance-avoidance goals in their effect on performance. Experiment 2 shows that uncertainty also moderates the effects of self-set performance-approach goals. Moreover, the same dynamic occurs with another kind of uncertainty: negative competence feedback

"Too complex for me!" Why do performance-approach and performance-avoidance goals predict exam performance?

Classroom research on achievement goals has revealed that performance-approach goals (goals to outperform others) positively predict exam performance whereas performance-avoidance goals (goals not to perform more poorly than others) negatively predict it. Because prior classroom research has primarily utilized multiplechoice exam performance, the first aim of the present study was to extend these findings to a different measure of exam performance (oral examination). The second aim of this research was to test the mediating role of perceived difficulty. Participants were 49 4th year psychology students of the University of Geneva. Participants answered a questionnaire assessing their level of performance-approach and performance-avoidance goal endorsement in one of their classes as well as the perceived difficulty of this class for themselves. Results indicated that performance-approach goals significantly and positively predicted exam grades. Performance-avoidance goals significantly and negatively predicted grades. Both of these relationships were mediated by the perceived difficulty of the class for oneself. Thus, the links previously observed between performance goals and exam performance were replicated on an oral exam. Perceived difficulty is discussed as a key dimension responsible for these findings

The Coordination of Problem Solving Strategies: When Low Competence Sources Exert More Influence on Task Processing than High Competence Ones.

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Représentations sociales et influence sociale

Puisque le contenu et la structure des représentations sociales sont déterminés par des communications, leur lien avec l'étude de l'influence sociale devrait éclairer la compréhension des dynamiques représentationnelles. Trois axes de recherche sont présentés. Dans la tradition des études sur l'influence sociale, le premier montre qu'une source majoritaire produit une influence manifeste et la minorité une influence plus latente. Le deuxième confirme à propos d'une source experte que les sources de haut statut social encourent le risque d'une influence plutôt superficielle et montre que ces obstacles au changement proviennent d'enjeux identitaires. Le troisième examine l'influence réciproque que les représentations sociales peuvent exercer sur les processus d'influence eux-mêmes