The Ebb and Flow of Performance Feedback

Indianapolis, IN

Whether at work, in school, or on a team, feedback is a necessary part of all performance. Negative feedback helps people become aware of areas where they are not performing up to standards and change their behaviors to address performance-goal discrepancies. However, negative feedback can have an aversive effect and may instead cause negative emotional reactions, perceptions of unfairness, and rejection of the feedback (e.g., Anseel & Lievens, 2006; Cianci, Klein, & Seijts, 2010). Our work stems from literature demonstrating the efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions in creating resilience and sustained well being in people (e.g., Kabat-Zinn, 2003; Chen, Thompson, Toomey, & O'Malley, 2012). By targeting mindfulness, a psychological state promoting one's attention on their current experience, we hope to lessen people's negative reactions to negative feedback.