Abstract
The present study investigated the responsiveness to praise of 285 elementary school pupils as a function of task variables and subject characteristics. The individual difference variables of locus of control and previous school-related failure were utilized. Analyses of the effects of praise differed considerably between an ambiguous coding and an academic reading task. Male subjects with an external locus of control orientation were responsive to praise on the coding task. Female subjects were generally not responsive, regardless of individual characteristics. Reading test residual gains, however, were affected by prior experiences of failure and praise. The results were interpreted as demonstrating the importance of integrating task variables into aptitude-treatment interaction research.
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