The interplay of positivity and self-verification strivings : feedback preference under increased desire for self-enhancement

Feedback preference is motivated. In the educational context, two main drivers of feedback preference are the desire for positive evaluation (self-enhancement motive) and the desire for subjectively accurate information (self-verification motive). Whereas the former produces positivity bias, the latter is seen in the preference for feedback consistent with one’s established self-perception. Therefore, before the study, we measured participants’ self-perception in the social domain. In the laboratory, we presented them with two evaluations of their social abilities: one positive, one negative. We tested participants’ preferences for these feedback options under increased self-enhancement motivation. Study 1 showed that participants high (vs. low) on the desire for positive evaluation exhibited an enhanced preference for positive feedback. This was mainly true for participants with positive self-perception. Study 2 showed that under situationally increased self-enhancement motivation, people prefer positive feedback, regardless of its perceived accuracy. The results shed light on how motivation affects feedback processing.