Pilot trainers noticed:
- Praise for an exceptionally smooth landing => poorer
landing on the next try
- Harsh criticism after a rough landing => improvement on
the next try
• Concluded: verbal rewards are detrimental; verbal
punishments are valuable
Al

An alternate explanation could be that the pilot was nervous and unable to land the plane evenly the first time due to their heightened stress or anxiety. However, after the harsh criticism that followed, the pilot could have been motivated to try harder and landed the plane smoother on the next attempt due to their newly renewed focus and confidence. Thus, the verbal criticism could have been beneficial to the pilot and likely had a positive impact on their performance.