| Task-related motivation and error detection accuracy were studied in a simulated quality control task designed to mimic prescription verification in a pharmacy. Participants verified 80 scripts for accuracy and reported their motivation before, during and after the task under either low (26 to 30%) or high (34 to 38%) error probability conditions. Results showed that task-related motivation declined significantly over the course of the checking task, but was still positively correlated to sensitivity (i.e., detection accuracy) especially early in the task. False alarm rates (i.e., reporting errors that were not there) were not affected by motivation. Further, the motivation-sensitivity link was not moderated by the error probability condition. Finally, motivation and workload were also positively correlated, suggesting that motivated individuals perceived the task as somewhat more difficult. Implications and directions for further study are discussed. |
