Examining the Relation between Self-Knowledge and Self-Control during a Computerized Task: A Replication and Extension
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Authors
Al-Hafeez, Aisha M. R.
Issue Date
2019
Type
Thesis
Language
Keywords
Self-Control , Self-Knowledge
Alternative Title
Abstract
Self-knowledge (i.e., describing one’s own behavior) can be taught through delivering feedback about one’s behavior. Despite B. F. Skinner discussing it in About Behaviorism (1974), the influence of feedback on increasing self-knowledge has not been widely researched, especially with respect to the extent that it can alter repertoires of self-control (i.e., choosing a reward that is commensurate with one’s own perception of their performance on a given task). The purpose of this study was to replicate and extend previous research by Dersch (2001) by examining relations between self-knowledge and self-control during a computerized task. Nineteen undergraduate students completed a series of sudoku puzzles and received monetary rewards based on (1) self-evaluations of their own sudoku performance, (2) computerized evaluations of their performance, (3) both evaluations, or (4) free selection. Within-subject and between-group analyses of self-evaluations and computerized evaluations on sudoku performance and free rewards selected suggest conditions under which self-control—selecting monetary rewards that correspond to actual sudoku performance—is likely to develop. Limitations concerning immediate acquisition of self-control and its lack of development are discussed, and future modifications to address those limitations are proposed.