Date of Award

12-13-2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Lisa A. Steelman, Ph.D.

Second Advisor

Jessica L. Wildman, Ph.D.

Third Advisor

Gary N. Burns, Ph.D.

Fourth Advisor

Catherine Nicholson, Ph.D., BCBA-D.

Abstract

Grounded in Self-Discrepancy Theory (Higgins, 1987) and Role Congruity Theory (Eagly & Karau, 2002), this study examines how gendered differences in feedback influence employees’ self-views and subsequent citizenship behaviors. Specifically, the research aimed to investigate how the relative frequency of task performance feedback and contextual performance feedback impacts self-confidence and imposter phenomenon, and how these self-views, in turn, predict voice and helping organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs), respectively. Initial phases of this study validated measures for perceptions of task and contextual performance feedback frequency, favorability, and adequacy. The final phase used moderated-mediation polynomial regression analyses to test hypotheses. Exploratory cluster analyses and a thematic analysis of open-ended questions about where participants felt their feedback was lacking elaborated on the results of the hypothesis testing. Together, results indicated that receiving frequent, and somewhat equal amounts of task and contextual performance feedback, is associated with higher self-confidence and increased engagement in voice behaviors. This same pattern was related reduced imposter phenomenon and greater engagement in helping behaviors. Although, contrary to the hypotheses, these self-views do not serve as mediators between feedback and voice and helping behaviors. Additionally, these findings were stronger for men than women. These findings lay the ground work for the theoretical understanding of gender differences in feedback and downstream outcomes and practical guidance for providing equitable, inclusive feedback that improves self-views and elicits OCBs.

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