Performance in a task improves when subjects experience respect, rather than admiration, for those teaching them

Abstract

Introduction: One experiences admiration and respect when acknowledging excellence in others. Admiration relates to the person’s superior abilities, whereas respect focuses on the person as a whole. Although previous studies suggest a link between admiration/respect and motivation, it is unclear as to whether these emotions enhance task performance. We investigated the relationship between admiration/respect and task performance. Method: Forty-two Japanese participants completed an English exam, watched a video, and completed a second exam. In the video, an interviewer asked an English lecturer to provide tips for completing the exam. After the second exam, participants rated the amount of admiration and respect they had for the lecturer and interviewer. We examined whether experiencing admiration/respect enhanced exam scores. Results: We found that experiencing admiration had no significant effect on exam scores. However, the participants who had stronger respect for the lecturer improved their score (p < 0.001) whereas the score of the other participants did not differ between exams (p = 0.504). Moreover, the analysis showed a positive correlation between score increment and the amount of awe, a subcategory of the Japanese concept of respect (p = 0.014). Conclusion: The results suggest that respect (particularly awe), rather than admiration, is involved in performance improvement.