A manager implements a system of public accountability for team members' progress. Considering the psychology of self-regulation, what primary control mechanism is this system primarily leveraging?

The system of public accountability primarily leverages the control mechanism of *allocative outcome feedback*. To understand this, we need to break down the relevant psychological concepts. Self-regulation, in the context of goal achievement, refers to the processes people use to control their actions and thoughts to reach a desired outcome. This involves a cyclical process: setting goals, monitoring progress, reflecting on that progress, and then adjusting behavior. Within this cycle, several control mechanisms operate. These mechanisms are broadly categorized as *control-process theory*, which describes how people regulate their behavior. Control-process theory identifies three primary control processes: knowledge of performance, knowledge of results, and allocative outcome feedback.

*Knowledge of performance* provides information about *how* well someone is performing a task. It’s about the process itself. For example, a tennis coach might tell a player to adjust their swing angle – this is feedback on *how* they are hitting the ball. *Knowledge of results* tells someone *whether* they achieved the goal. Did the tennis player win the point? This is a simple yes/no answer about the outcome. *Allocative outcome feedback*, however, goes a step further. It provides information about the *consequences* of performance, specifically how performance affects the resources or rewards available. Public accountability falls squarely into this category. By making progress visible to others, the manager creates a situation where team members are aware of how their work impacts the team's overall success, potential recognition, or even potential negative consequences (like appearing less productive than peers).

For instance, if a team's sales targets are publicly displayed and each member's contribution is visible, a team member sees not just *whether* they met their individual target (knowledge of results), but also how their sales figures affect the team's overall progress towards the collective goal and potentially influence team-based rewards or bonuses. This awareness of the consequences – the allocation of resources or rewards based on performance – is allocative outcome feedback. It motivates behavior change because individuals are motivated to perform in ways that maximize positive outcomes and avoid negative ones, especially when those outcomes are visible to others. The public nature of the accountability amplifies this effect, as social comparison and the desire for positive social evaluation become powerful motivators.