Effects of Approval Motivation and Varying Conditions of Verbal Reinforcement on Incidental Memory for Faces

Abstract

An attempt was made to determine whether high and low n approval Ss showed differences in incidental memory for faces after these stimuli were associated with positive, negative, or no (control) verbal reinforcement. Results were that the high n approval Ss, as a group, demonstrated greater incidental memory than did the low group (p < .01). It was also found that high n approval Ss performed best under positive reinforcement while demonstrating the least incidental memory under conditions of negative reinforcement. For low n approval Ss the reverse was true. These findings were discussed as lending support to Marlowe-Crowne's notions concerning the approval-motivated person. The fact that the two approval-motivated groups performed differently under negative reinforcement relative to their performance in the other conditions was discussed as being consistent with expectations based on the fact that a significant correlation exists between the M-C SDS and Byrne R-S Scale.