Maras, Sara.
(2018).
"I am not usually good at that": effects of arousal misattribution on task-related confidence.
Diploma Thesis. Filozofski fakultet u Zagrebu, Department of Psychology.
[mentor Tadinac, Meri].
Abstract
The aim of this study was to examine the influence of stressful math problems on objective measures of physiological arousal as well as the effects of misattribution of that arousal on task-related confidence. The study included 64 participants, female students from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Zagreb. Pulse and electrodermal activity were used as objective measures of physiological arousal. Arousal was induced with a series of fast-paced timed mathematical problems (addition and substraction) which participants experience as hard and frustrating. Misattribution was induced in the experimental group by playing an unpleasant but ineffective tone for which participants received different suggestions of its effects, dependent on their group. Between blocks of math problems, participants filled out a questionnaire about their task-related confidence in relation to the upcoming block. The questionnaire consisted of two questions; one about the number of problems they expect to be able to solve and one about their expected future performance in relation to other participants. Both groups showed a heightened physiological arousal right after solving the first block of math problems and while filling out the questionnaire, on measure of pulse but not on measure of EDR. Participants in the experimental group (misattribution group) showed no difference in task-related confidence compared to participants in the control group.
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