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.
Dr Hornsey last night (September 18) received a $75,000 UQ Foundation Research Excellence Award for his project The bitter pill: The psychology of giving and taking interpersonal criticism.
He said the three main questions being addressed by the project were:
• Does it matter who it is who is making the criticism; and if so, why?;
• What is the best way to deliver a critical message without arousing defensiveness?; and
• To what extent – and under what circumstances – are people prepared to give honest feedback to others?
“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 psychotherapy contexts.”
Dr Hornsey 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, it is a vital ingredient in the process of growth; if we were never criticised, we might be condemned to repeat our mistakes and would be unlikely to reach our potential.
“Indeed, we spend much of our life having our behaviour shaped by controlled, targeted criticism, whether this be at school, at university, in the workplace, or even in therapy.
“On the other hand, criticism is inherently threatening and if taken in the wrong spirit can lead to an atmosphere of mistrust, hurt, and denial.”
Dr Hornsey said that because people tended to shy away from the potential for hurt, there was evidence that negative feedback was not passed on, particularly to people higher on a status hierarchy.
“It is natural that people might turn to psychology for some clues as to how to give and receive criticism without arousing defensiveness, but theory and research offer surprisingly few answers,” he said.
Among findings of Dr Hornsey’s previous research into intergroup criticism were that Australians are extremely defensive about criticism from non-Australians, regardless of whether or not a foreigner has spent time here.
Media: For more information, contact Brad Turner at UQ Communications on (07) 3365 2659 or 0400767489, email b.turner@uq.edu.au; or Dr Hornsey on (07) 3365 6378, email matthewh@psy.uq.edu.au.
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