'Overjustification effect in a web-based location memory game - replication' (AsPredicted #51825)
Author(s) Sean McCrea (University of Wyoming) - smccrea@uwyo.edu Alex Bitter (University of Wyoming) - abitter@uwyo.edu Trent Wondra (Barry University) - twondra@barry.edu Domen Novak (University of Wyoming) - dnovak1@uwyo.edu
Pre-registered on 2020/11/10 - 10:22 AM (PT)
1) Have any data been collected for this study already? No, no data have been collected for this study yet.
2) What's the main question being asked or hypothesis being tested in this study? Does removing performance-contingent extrinsic rewards uniquely undermine subsequent free-choice behavior or can removing intrinsic rewards have the same effect?
Primary hypothesis: We predict a significant interaction on the number of blocks completed in the free-choice period. Within the undermining pay condition, the pay never offered task should result in a greater number of blocks completed than in the pay removed task condition. In contrast, we expect no effect of reward in the undermining gamification condition. Significant effects of reward removal in both free-choice conditions would instead be evidence that removing performance-based pay or gamification both undermine subsequent free-choice behavior.
Manipulation checks: The gamification never offered condition should maximize extrinsic motivation, tension, and instrumentality of earning bonus money. The pay never offered condition should maximize enjoyment, competence, and instrumentality of having fun. Effort and instrumentality of improving memory should be high across all conditions.
3) Describe the key dependent variable(s) specifying how they will be measured. Participants will complete either a gamified/no bonus pay or bonus pay/not gamified version of a location memory task for as long as they like, with number of blocks completed (0-9) the primary measure.
Manipulation checks: Enjoyment, competence, tension, effort, and extrinsic motivation will be assessed with a 22-item questionnaire. Instrumentality for improving memory, having fun, and earning money will be assessed using a Venn diagram technique.
4) How many and which conditions will participants be assigned to? Participants will be randomly assigned to one condition in a 2 (Type of effect: Undermining pay vs. Undermining gamification) x 2 (Reward: never offered vs. removed) between-participants design
5) Specify exactly which analyses you will conduct to examine the main question/hypothesis. We will conduct a 2x2 ANOVA on the number of blocks completed (0-9) in the free-choice task, and simple effect tests of reward condition within each type of effect condition. ANOVAs will be conducted on manipulation checks, but with simple tests of type of effect within each reward condition.
6) Describe exactly how outliers will be defined and handled, and your precise rule(s) for excluding observations. Participants who did not begin the free-choice period will not be considered as having completed the study. Additionally, we will exclude any participants who fail both attention checks in the questionnaire, answer two or more wrong in either test of understanding the instructions, fail to respond to at least one block of the location memory tasks, or who respond to all items of the self-report questionnaire with the same response.
7) How many observations will be collected or what will determine sample size? No need to justify decision, but be precise about exactly how the number will be determined. We will record all cases in which the study was started, but continue data collection until 1200 participants have completed the study and received payment. If any cell is smaller than n=250, we will collect additional participants until this minimum cell size is reached across all conditions. The target sample size may be slightly exceeded if participants complete the study but fail to provide the correct completion code for payment.
8) Anything else you would like to pre-register? (e.g., secondary analyses, variables collected for exploratory purposes, unusual analyses planned?) -A 2x2 ANOVA is expected to show that initial task performance is particularly poor in the pay never offered condition. Performance in the free-choice period is expected to largely parallel the number of blocks completed.
-Exploratory analyses will examine whether the ratings of intrinsic motivation and instrumentality mediate condition effects on the number of blocks completed in the free-choice period.
-A pilot study (N = 80) was conducted to refine the measures and instructions, and to test the program. No data with the finalized procedure have been collected.
