Perfectionism: does it help or hinder one's feedback learning performance? The present study investigated the relationship between perfectionism and feedback learning, and if reward sensitivity...Show morePerfectionism: does it help or hinder one's feedback learning performance? The present study investigated the relationship between perfectionism and feedback learning, and if reward sensitivity plays a mediating role in this relationship. We wanted to examine whether adaptive perfectionism (AP) and maladaptive perfectionism (MP) predict differences in feedback learning, tending more towards positive or negative feedback learning. Furthermore, we examined if this relationship might be influenced by one's sensitivity to different types of feedback: reward and punishment. Participants (N = 113) carried out a probabilistic learning task and completed the Almost Perfect Scale Revised and the Sensitivity to Punishment Sensitivity to Reward questionnaires. We found no differences in feedback learning between adaptive and maladaptive participants. Correspondingly, we also did not find mediating roles for reward and punishment sensitivity. However, we did find a strong significant relationship between maladaptive perfectionism and punishment sensitivity. These results remained unchanged when we carried out an exploratory analysis, using only perfectionistic participants. Because existing literature points towards strong correlations between perfectionism, feedback learning, and reward sensitivity, more research is needed to investigate the links between these constructs.Show less
Online peer victimization, more commonly known as cyberbullying, is becoming more and more commonplace, with its effects yet to be fully discovered. The current study investigated whether online...Show moreOnline peer victimization, more commonly known as cyberbullying, is becoming more and more commonplace, with its effects yet to be fully discovered. The current study investigated whether online peer victimization would significantly predict positive and negative feedback learning in young adults. A moderation effect of social anxiety was also investigated. Moreover, differences between subscales 'direct' and 'indirect' online peer victimization were investigated. Relations between online peer victimization and social anxiety and between social anxiety and feedback learning were found in prior research and therefore a relation between online peer victimization and feedback learning was expected. Participants were gathered from Leiden University and its surroundings and were a priori screened for Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS) scores. This experiment was part of a larger study. For the present study, the Multidimensional Offline and Online Peer Victimization (MOOPV) questionnaire and the LSAS questionnaire were used. A feedback learning paradigm was conducted, measuring the tendency to either learn from positive or negative feedback. Results show no relation between online peer victimization and feedback learning. A significant interaction effect was found for 'indirect' online peer victimization and moderator social anxiety. 'Indirect' online peer victimization was only able to predict feedback learning for people with high social anxiety. The results of this study highlight the importance of educating teachers and students on the effects of 'indirect' online peer victimization. Future research should focus on identifying underlying reasons for the difference between 'direct' and 'indirect' online peer victimization. Moreover, the interaction effect should be taken into consideration in treatment of social anxiety, as online peer victimization causes socially anxious individuals to learn more from negative feedback.Show less
The present study looked into the relationship between rejection sensitivity (RS) and feedback learning, and whether this is possibly mediated by attachment. Humans have a need to fit in and have...Show moreThe present study looked into the relationship between rejection sensitivity (RS) and feedback learning, and whether this is possibly mediated by attachment. Humans have a need to fit in and have close interpersonal relationships, and therefore, it is essential to be able to adjust and learn from feedback from others. Individual differences, such as RS, could play an important role in which attachment style an individual uses and how one responds to feedback. Participants (N= 97) completed several questionnaires, including Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS), Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised (ECR-R) and Rejection Sensitivity Questionnaire (RSQ). Additionally, they took part in the Social Probabilistic Learning Paradigm (SELF-Symbol) to measure feedback learning, and were observed for behavioural data. Results indicated that RS is closely related to attachment, and therefore, to attachment-related anxiety. The negative direction of the relationship between RS and feedback learning and between feedback learning and attachment were found as expected. However, these relationships were not robust. As this study did not find a mediating role of attachment on the relationship between RS and feedback learning, this study still contributes to the scarce knowledge in the field of RS and attachment. Future research can use the limitations of this study to build on the newfound knowledge obtained from this research, where possible interventions can be made to increase the well-being of people high in RS, attachment-related anxiety, and in civil society.Show less
