Event Title
Formative Arts Experiences: The Differential Effect of Evaluative Praise and Encouragement on Sustained Participation in the Arts
Date of Publication
3-26-2021
Document Type
Paper
Abstract / Program Notes
The literature in educational psychology suggests that positive feedback and reinforcement can influence learning, motivation, and self-efficacy. This paper, based on survey and interview data with college-age students about formative arts experiences, will argue that the type of positive feedback employed by teachers, studio instructors, parents, and role models plays an important role in whether or not a student sustains their engagement with music and the arts beyond high school. More specifically, this pilot study distinguishes several types of positive feedback, including “evaluative praise” and general “encouragement”--terms based on the work of the psychologist Carol Dweck--and suggests higher encounters of “evaluative praise” during an individual’s formative arts experiences lead to lower rates of participation in the arts, extrinsic motivation, and experiences of anxiety while participating; while higher encounters of “encouragement” lead to higher rates of participation in the arts, intrinsic motivation, and experiences of comfort and enthusiasm while participating. In sum, this paper contributes to conversations within the field of arts education and educational psychology to promote sustained participation and enjoyment within the arts through the way that feedback is communicated to developing students.
Biography
Dante Billeci is an undergraduate student at Michigan State University who studies jazz saxophone performance and music education. He is currently working as an undergraduate research assistant through the Residential College of the Arts and Humanities, where he assists in researching topics related to music education, psychology, and well-being through the arts. Billeci has also served as a teaching assistant for Stanford Jazz Workshop and is currently a peer tutor for the Music Theory Area in the College of Music at Michigan State university. Joanna Bosse is an ethnomusicologist and dance ethnographer committed to the notion that sustained artistic practice is a necessary component of optimal wellness for everyone. She is currently establishing new research at the intersection of ethnomusicology, psychology, and social work which explores the health and wellness benefits of artistic engagement, with current research projects focusing on seniors, dementia patients, and PTSD survivors. Her previous work, focused on social couple dance traditions includes the book Becoming Beautiful: Ballroom Dance in the American Heartland (2015); a documentary film of the same name, which has screened on three continents and received several awards; and articles in The Journal of American Folklore, Dance Research Journal, Ethnomusicology Forum, and elsewhere. She also serves as the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at Michigan State University with responsibilities in the areas of academic programs, faculty development, and operations.
Keywords
Arts experiences, student engagement, music
Formative Arts Experiences: The Differential Effect of Evaluative Praise and Encouragement on Sustained Participation in the Arts
The literature in educational psychology suggests that positive feedback and reinforcement can influence learning, motivation, and self-efficacy. This paper, based on survey and interview data with college-age students about formative arts experiences, will argue that the type of positive feedback employed by teachers, studio instructors, parents, and role models plays an important role in whether or not a student sustains their engagement with music and the arts beyond high school. More specifically, this pilot study distinguishes several types of positive feedback, including “evaluative praise” and general “encouragement”--terms based on the work of the psychologist Carol Dweck--and suggests higher encounters of “evaluative praise” during an individual’s formative arts experiences lead to lower rates of participation in the arts, extrinsic motivation, and experiences of anxiety while participating; while higher encounters of “encouragement” lead to higher rates of participation in the arts, intrinsic motivation, and experiences of comfort and enthusiasm while participating. In sum, this paper contributes to conversations within the field of arts education and educational psychology to promote sustained participation and enjoyment within the arts through the way that feedback is communicated to developing students.