title: Individual differences in the benefits of feedback for learning.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Research on learning from feedback has produced ambiguous guidelines for feedback design--some have advocated minimal feedback, whereas others have recommended more extensive feedback that highly supported performance. The objective of the current study was to investigate how individual differences in cognitive resources may predict feedback requirements and resolve previous conflicted findings.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cognitive resources were controlled for by comparing samples from populations with known differences, older and younger adults.To control for task demands, a simple rule-based learning task was created in which participants learned to identify fake Windows pop-ups. Pop-ups were divided into two categories--those that required fluid ability to identify and those that could be identified using crystallized intelligence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In general, results showed participants given higher feedback learned more. However, when analyzed by type of task demand, younger adults performed comparably with both levels of feedback for both cues whereas older adults benefited from increased feedbackfor fluid ability cues but from decreased feedback for crystallized ability cues.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  One explanation for the current findings is feedback requirements are connected to the cognitive abilities of the learner-those with higher abilities for the type of demands imposed by the task are likely to benefit from reduced feedback.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We suggest the following considerations for feedback design: Incorporate learner characteristics and task demands when designing learning support via feedback.
authors.affiliation: North Carolina State University, Box 7650, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA. chris_kelley@ncsu.edu
authors.forename: Christopher M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Kelley
authors.forename: Anne Collins
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: McLaughlin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D030141:Feedback, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D012153:Retention, Psychology / Q000502:physiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014584:User-Computer Interface; D055815:Young Adult