根据自决理论(SDT),能力是一个人的幸福和最佳功能所必需的三个基本心理需求之一,从理论上讲,这些需求的挫败感被预测会引起恢复性反应。虽然以前的研究已经探索了自主性和相关性的恢复过程,这一过程的经验证据仍然缺乏能力。为了探索这一过程,并研究先前能力挫折对一个人在随后的能力支持任务中获胜的动机的影响,我们采用了组间实验设计,并在电生理研究中通过任务难度操纵了一个人的能力挫折。指示两组参与者分别在连续两个会话中进行时间估计任务和停止观察任务。实验组的参与者被要求在第一节中完成一项高难度的任务,在第二节中完成一项中等难度的任务,而对照组的人被指示在两个会话中从事中等难度的任务。在第二届会议上,与对照组相比,实验组观察到扩大的反馈相关的负波(FRN)失赢差异波(d-FRN),表明能力受挫的参与者在随后的能力支持任务中获胜的动机增强。因此,本研究的结果为受挫能力的恢复过程提供了原始的神经证据,为管理实践提供了重要指导。
According to self-determination theory (SDT), competence is among the three basic psychological needs essential for one\'s well-being and optimal functioning, and the frustration of these needs is theoretically predicted to induce a restorative response. While previous studies have explored the restoration process of autonomy and relatedness, empirical evidence for such a process is still lacking for competence. In order to explore this process and to examine the effect of prior competence frustration on one\'s motivation to win in a subsequent competence-supportive task, we adopted a between-group experimental design and manipulated one\'s competence frustration through task difficulty in an electrophysiological study. Participants in both groups were instructed to work on the time-estimation task and the stop-watch task in two successive sessions respectively. Participants in the experimental group were asked to complete a highly difficult task in the first session and a task of medium difficulty in the second session, while those in the control group were instructed to work on tasks of medium difficulty in both sessions. In the second session, an enlarged feedback-related negativity (FRN) loss-win difference wave (d-FRN) was observed in the experimental group compared to the control group, indicating that the competence-frustrated participants have an enhanced motivation to win in a subsequent competence-supportive task. Thus, results of the present study provided original neural evidence for the restoration process of frustrated competence, which provided important guidelines for the managerial practice.