Under the Guidance Hypothesis, excessive feedback tends to lead to what outcome?

• A. It centralizes feedback on intrinsic cues
• B. Feedback guides an athlete but too much will create dependence on the coach
• C. It has no impact on motivation
• D. It only affects novices

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is the Guidance Hypothesis: feedback helps shape performance, but providing too much can make learners dependent on the coach. When feedback is abundant, a learner focuses on external guidance rather than developing the ability to detect and correct their own errors from intrinsic cues. This dependence means performance may improve only with the coach’s input and decline when feedback is reduced or removed, because the learner hasn’t learned to self-monitor. The idea that feedback guides an athlete but too much will create dependence on the coach captures this pattern, showing how excessive guidance can hinder independent skill development. It’s not about centralizing intrinsic cues, and the effect isn’t limited to novices; motivation and learning can be affected across skill levels.