Receiving rewards feels good. Beyond influencing motivation, our work shows that rewards can have a direct impact on self-beliefs.

Those who received more rewards later estimated their own accuracy to be higher. Rewards also boosted turn-by-turn expectations of success: When a correct answer came with a reward, participants updated their performance expectations for the next round more.

Participants played a perceptual game where a staircase procedure held their accuracy constant. For correct answers, a slot machine determined whether they received a reward, with either high or low probability. They received both accuracy and reward feedback on each round.

Very excited to share that my first paper, with Peter Mende-Siedlecki and @leorhackel.bsky.social, is out now in @commspsychol.nature.com! ☺️

Can getting more rewards make you feel more skilled, even if your performance doesn't change?

www.nature.com/articles/s44...