[Action-oriented versus state-oriented reactions to experimenter-induced failures].
The present study assessed different effects of action-oriented versus state-oriented styles of coping with failure on achievement-related performance and cognition. In a learned helplessness experiment, students were exposed to an academic failure situation and were then tested on a series of problem-solving tasks, either immediately after the pretreatment or after a delay of 24 hours. Performance and cognitive concomitants were measured during both experimental periods. Results demonstrated that action orientation was associated with self-immunizing cognitions during helplessness training. Action-oriented participants improved their performance level even after repeated failure feedbacks. Moreover, action-oriented students assigned to the delayed test condition responded with increased striving for success and showed performance increments, even in comparison with control subjects. In contrast, state-oriented participants developed symptoms of helplessness and showed impaired performance during failure inductions. In later tests on problem-solving tasks, state-oriented groups responded with increased fear of failure. Independent of immediate or delayed test conditions, they soon lapsed into new performance decrements.
Brunstein
J C
JC
D000124:Achievement; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006380:Helplessness, Learned; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D009949:Orientation; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual; D011340:Problem Solving
Handlungsorientierte versus lageorientierte Reaktionen auf versuchsleiter-induzierte Misserfolgsereignisse.