DOUBLE ALTERNATION LEARNING AND REACTION TIME AS A FUNCTION OF MOTIVATIONAL INSTRUCTIONS
Michio Baba · The Japanese journal of psychology · 1973
A series of 3 experiments was designed to investigate the effects of motivational instructions upon double alternation learning. The Ss were required to find which of the 2 finger keys resulted in fewer numbers of pedal-presses to light an end signal. When both the speed and motive instructions were given simultaneously, the performance in double alternation learning was significantly improved with the given motivational instructions. When either of these instructions was given alone, the instruction to induce low motivation resulted in the most efficient learning. Making the problem more difficult, it was found that the higher the subjects were motivated, the faster but the less correctly they responded. These results were discussed in terms of the differences between the positive and negative reaction times. It was suggested that acceleration of responses should interfere with information processing.