Research: Persistence and Task Performance

Abstract

In the preceding chapter we described a theoretical model of the interactive effects of self-directed attention and outcome expectancies. In this chapter we review a variety of research that directly and indirectly supports that model. This research utilized several different dependent measures for assessing discrepancy-reduction attempts and withdrawal, including both persistence and performance measures. In addition, self-attention was varied both by experimental manipulations and by individual differences. Finally, outcome expectancies were varied in several different ways. Thus, there are three different respects in which the research taken as a whole incorporates a broad degree of generality.