Dr Matthew Hornsey, School of Psychology

Dr Matthew Hornsey

Dispensing and swallowing the “bitter pill” of personal criticism is one of life’s less enjoyable but most important experiences.

UQ social psychologist, Dr Matthew Hornsey, says he is out to fill an information vacuum surrounding the best ways and circumstances in which to give and receive personal criticism.

He has received a $75,000 UQ Foundation Research Excellence Award for his project.

“The aim of these studies is to unlock the psychological processes underlying defensiveness in the face of criticism, and to translate these insights into specific and usable strategies for change,” Dr Hornsey said.

“Conclusions drawn from the research have implications for any context where criticism is delivered or received, including educational institutions, workplaces, and in psychotherapy.”

He said former British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill had captured the complex nature of criticism when he said it “may not be agreeable, but it is necessary”.

“Churchill said criticism ‘fulfilled the same function as pain in the human body’, and ‘called attention to an unhealthy state of things’ – and he was right,” Dr Hornsey said.

“On one hand, if we were never criticised, we might be condemned to repeat our mistakes and would be unlikely to reach our potential. On the other, criticism is inherently threatening and, if taken in the wrong spirit, can lead to an atmosphere of mistrust, hurt, and denial.”

 He said because people tended to shy away from potential for hurt, there was evidence that negative feedback was not passed on, particularly to people higher in the status hierarchy.

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