Solution to Assignment 2

Selected SPSS output is presented below:

Cell Means and Standard Deviations

Variable .. score perseverence
FACTOR CODE Mean Std. Dev. N
group no feedb 11.000 4.346 10
group cong/pos 25.000 4.137 10
group cong/neg 30.000 5.831 10
group irr/pos 15.000 4.216 10
group irr/neg 5.000 2.906 10
For entire sample 17.200 10.136 50

Tests of Significance for score using UNIQUE sums of squares

Source of Variation SS DF MS F Sig of F

WITHIN+RESIDUAL 866.00 45 19.24

GROUP(1) 480.50 1 480.50 24.97 .000
GROUP(2) 62.50 1 62.50 3.25 .078
GROUP(3) 3062.50 1 3062.50 159.14 .000
GROUP(4) 562.50 1 562.50 29.23 .000

Contrast One: No feedback versus feedback

Contrast Two: Positive versus negative
Contrast Three: Congruent versus irrelevant
Contrats Four: Direction of feedback by congruence interaction

Alpha is set at .05/4 for all 4 contrasts using the Bonferroni inequality.

Thus conclude that:

1. Feedback leads to greater perseverance than no feedback
2. No effect of direction of feedback
3. Congruent feedback leads to more perseverance than irrelevant feedback
4. Whereas there is little advantage for negative feedback over positive feedback when
congruent strengths are revealed and perseverance measured, positive feedback has an
advantage over negative feedback when irrelevant strengths are revealed and
perseverance measured. (may be different if x(category) axis is direction in plot of
means)