Performance expectancy as a determinant of actual performance: Dissonance reduction or differential recall?

Abstract

An experiment by Aronson and Carlsmith indicated that Ss tended to be dissatisfied with a performance inconsistent with their expectancy, even when the expectancy was for a poor performance and the actual performance was excellent. Dissatisfaction was measured by the degree to which Ss changed their performance when given the opportunity. The results indicated that Aronson and Carlsimth's method of manipulating expectancy produces differences between the high- and low-expectancy Ss in their ability to recall their performance and, therefore, in their capacity to change it appropriately. Thus, recall is a confounding variable which may account for Aronson and Carlsmith's results. An independent test, using recall scores, also failed to confirm their hypothesis. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)