The effect of anticipated achievement feedback on students' semantic processing as indicated by the N400 cloze effect. (February 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Janssen, Eva M.; van der Ven, Sanne H.G.; van Hoogmoed, Anne H.; Leseman, Paul P.M.
• Is Part Of: Learning and instruction. Volume 47(2017:Feb.)
• Page Start: 80
• Page End: 90
• Publication Date: 2017-02
• Subjects: Anticipated achievement feedback -- Emotions -- Semantic processing -- N400 -- Event-related potentials; Learning -- Periodicals; Teaching -- Periodicals; Apprentissage -- Périodiques; Enseignement -- Périodiques; Learning; Teaching; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 370.1
• DOI: 10.1016/j.learninstruc.2016.10.003
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0959-4752

Abstract

Abstract: The present study examined the effects of anticipated achievement feedback on students' semantic processing on the neural level, using event-related brain potentials (ERPs). Participants ( N = 79) anticipated either self-referential or normative achievement feedback regarding an announced upcoming test. Additionally, their performance expectations (low vs. no expectations) were orthogonally manipulated. Subsequently, students' on-line semantic processing was assessed by measuring the N400 cloze effect, a component in the EEG signal of which the amplitude is associated with semantic processing. Within the low performance-expectation condition, no effect of anticipated feedback on semantic processing was found. Within the no-performance-expectation condition, participants anticipating self-referential feedback showed a more widely distributed N400 cloze effect than participants anticipating normative feedback. The results confirmed the hypothesis that the mere expectation of a particular type of feedback can affect students' semantic processes. Highlights: Using ERPs (N400), we investigated effects on efficiency of semantic processing of 1. anticipating self-referential vs. normative feedback (A-SR-F vs. A-N-F), and 2. having no or low expectations of performance on a future test. As suggested by differences in the distribution of the N400 effect over the scalp, A-SR-F led to more efficient semantic processing than A-N-F in the no-expectation group.