Abstract
Positive feedback motivates goal pursuit when it signals increased commitment; negative feedback motivates when it signals insufficient progress — the operative frame depends on whether the person monitors commitment or rate of progress (Fishbach, Eyal, & Finkelstein, 2010).
Fishbach, A., Eyal, T., & Finkelstein, S. R. (2010). How positive and negative feedback motivate goal pursuit. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 4(8), 517–530. DOI
Key findings
- Commitment lens: — Positive feedback signals rising commitment and sustains pursuit.
- Progress lens: — Negative feedback signals insufficient progress and prompts corrective effort.
Application
When a writer early in a project benefits from encouragement (commitment signal); mid-draft with missed milestones benefits from critical progress feedback — Fishbach et al — open this cite for the study behind the move.