Muscle-action potentials and estimated probability of success.

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Abstract
This experiment bears on the question of the conditions under which actual or expected failure will lead to an increase or to a decrease in muscular effort expended on a task. Action potentials (MAP) from the working muscles are taken as the index of effort. Previous reports that MAP increased after failure are interpreted to mean that Ss viewed the second task as a chance to offset the effects of the failure by performing well. But it is supposed that if S is convinced that achieving success is hopeless under given task conditions then he will reduce his effort, i. e., produce smaller MAPs. Previous experiments had shown that the form and level of (false) performance curves, reported to Ss during a series of trials, produced systematic effects on the trend and level of their estimated probability of success, P(s). These observations were replicated in the present experiment, with the additional finding that level of MAP is a function of level of P(s). That is, Ss who expected to succeed put out more effort than those who expected to fail.

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