The Confidence of Choice: Evidence for an Augmentation Effect on Self-Perceived Performance

Past research suggests that choice in deciding the features of a task can enhance performance. Independent of the quality of performance, choice may also increase the actor’s confidence by providing a secondary source of subjective control during the task. In two studies designed to examine this augmentation hypothesis, college students were asked to read and understand a short story. Study 1 revealed that those who selected names to be used in the story felt more confident about their performance than did those who were assigned names, although the groups in fact performed equally. Study 2 revealed that the enhancement was not due to anticipatory confidence, arguing against the possibility that choice was operating as a performance cue. The findings are interpreted in relation to perceived control and implications for motivation and competence are discussed.