The effect of punishment and feedback on correcting erroneous behavior.

Résumé

INTRODUCTION: Understanding the consequences of non-punitive sanctions and feedback for nonintentional deviations (i.e., errors) is important to effective safety policy. This study aims to address a lack of research on the effects of punishment and feedback on correcting erroneous behavior in the context of multitasking.METHOD: A Multi-Attribute Task Battery (MATB-II) was employed to simulate the demands of aviating, an important area of applied safety. Sixty participants were randomly assigned to one of four experimental groups (no intervention, punishment, feedback, punishment + feedback) and asked to perform the MATB-II. Punishment, feedback, and punishment + feedback decreased error and increased performance, with punishment alone having the greatest effect.RESULTS: The results highlight the need for behavioral consequences or feedback to reduce erroneous behavior.PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: From an applied perspective, these results have implications for policy and training.