Other research has supported the use of ability feedback in the classroom. Fredenburg,
Lee, and Solmon (2002) indicated that students determine their ability to perform a particular
task through their cognitive appraisal of available information, including sources such as
feedback provided by teachers or significant others. While Freedman-Doan et al. (2000)
discovered that when the children were asked “how do they know that they are the best at an
activity they selected?” 46% answered that feedback about their ability was the reason they
believed they were the best. This study involved interviews with 865, 1st, 2nd, and 4th grade
students.