Effects of positive and negative social feedback on motivation, evaluative learning, and socio-emotional processing

This study investigated the effects of static (photos) versus dynamic (videos) social feedback on motivation, evaluative learning, and socio-emotional processing in young and older adults. Using a social incentive delay (SID) task with neutral, positive, and negative feedback, the researchers found that anticipating positive and negative feedback accelerated response times regardless of age and feedback type. Evaluative learning was observed, with positive feedback videos transferring positive valence to predictive cues. Older adults showed less pronounced negative affect to negative feedback videos, suggesting age differences in socio-emotional processing. The findings contribute to understanding the cognitive and emotional aspects of social reward and punishment processing.

Alexandra Sobczak, Nico Bunzeck