Feedback as a Moderator of the Relationship Between Medical Students' Achievement Goal Orientations and Emotions

• In Event: Assessment and Feedback in Health Professions Education

Abstract

This study examined whether feedback moderates the relationship between achievement goal orientation (AGO) and emotions of medical students (n=31) in the context of diagnosing a virtual patient. Moderation models demonstrate interactions between AGOs and feedback, influencing expression of emotions after task. Feedback included accuracy (correctness of diagnosis), and efficiency (similarity to an expert solution). Students who received positive feedback regarding high efficiency influenced AGO differently: higher mastery-approach expressed less surprise; higher performance-approach expressed less anger; and higher performance-avoidance expressed more surprise. AGOs also influenced emotions of students with incorrect diagnosis: higher mastery-avoidance expressed less anger; higher performance-avoidance expressed more fear. Findings show medical students’ emotional reaction to feedback will vary depending on their AGO and type of feedback they receive.

Authors

• Alejandra Ruiz-Segura, McGill University

• Tingting Wang, McGill University

• Chengyi Tan, McGill University

• Xiaoshan Huang, McGill University

• Susanne P. Lajoie, McGill University