The effects of feedback interventions on performance: A historical review, a meta-analysis, and a preliminary feedback intervention theory

We checked this card's citation and the finding we state against the source's own page or record in October 2026.

What it found

Feedback improved performance on average, but more than a third of feedback interventions made performance worse. Feedback worked less well the more it drew attention away from the task and toward the person.

Effect size, as the source reports it: d = .41 on average; over a third of feedback interventions decreased performance.

What kind of study it is

Design

Meta-analysis

Weight

A synthesis: it pools or weighs many studies, so it carries the most weight on the evidence meter.

Sample

607 effect sizes, 23,663 observations

Limits

Covers feedback in many settings, not only schools.

Read it

doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.119.2.254

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Cited in the Library

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