The interpretation of classroom performance feedback: An attributional approach

Abstract

Educators provide communication feedback to students in order to improve subsequent performance. However students may interpret feedback in non‐productive ways. Two studies examined the effects of trait anxiety on production of and attributions about feedback comments.

In Study One participants generated their own feedback in response to a hypothetical performance. Categories of feedback replicated work conducted by Book and Simmons (1980). Anxiety was associated with negative comments for most categories, but with positive comments concerning content. Trait anxiety was also related to negative external attributions. In Study Two all participants were given identical feedback. Their attributions indicated a self‐serving effect where positive comments were attributed internally and negative comments externally. Anxiety was not related to negative attributions, but was associated with more internal interpretations. Grade expectations were more strongly related to the feedback than to the trait.