Feedback Dependence among Low Confidence Preadolescent Boys and Girls

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Previous research has suggested that self-confidence of females may be lacking in certain types of physical activity achievement situations. One circumstance in which females are said to lack confidence is when performance feedback is not present because females may be dependent on others to supply feedback in situations involving performance of a physical task. Recent research has questioned whether the lack of feedback is more likely to undermine confidence of females as opposed to males if confidence levels among the gender groups are equal. Specifically, it was the purpose of this study to determine if the self-confidence of females and males was different among groups receiving performance feedback versus no feedback when preperformance self-confidence levels were held constant within gender groups. Results indicated that both males and females in the low preperformance self-confidence groups had lower postperformance self-confidence when feedback was not present. Low preperformance self-confidence subjects of both genders showed self-confidence levels equal to those in the high preperformance self-confidence groups after receiving performance feedback. The ladt of self-confidence did seem to impair actual performance mare for low preperformance self-confidence boys than girls in this noncompetitive physical activity. In addition, many more girls were low in self-confidence prior to the task than were boys.