Gilbert Authors Network newcomer Burt Webb points us at a psychology article that explores how bad is stronger than good.
We see this in teaching: critique typically affects a student more strongly than a similar magnitude compliment. When reviewing student performance, even a slight negative can carry more weight with the student than an adamant positive.
Some teachers try to counter this by being gentle with negatives and lavish with positives, which can backfire as the student learns to devalue compliments and overvalue critiques, reinforcing the very disparity the teacher is trying to accommodate. If the teacher continues to attempt to compensate, praise can become extreme while corrections vanish.
Other teachers give fewer of both, intending to strengthen the effects of each by their rarity. Others dispense with anything that looks like praise altogether, assuming the student can determine from objective measures (grades, test scores, graduation) how well they are doing.
Of course the matter is more involved than simply praise versus critique. What is said matters, and what is heard matters. I again recommend The Inverse Power of Praise as a useful exploration of how praise creates or hinders learning.
And every student has their own set of biases. Some students will hear negatives no matter what is said. Some students will not believe a positive unless it is accompanied by a negative. If your connection with the student is weak, they may not care about praise or critique. Or they may care deeply, but attempt to convince you they do not.
While the tendency to devalue positive comments and focus on negative is not universal, it is quite common, and it is important that as teachers we be aware of this uneven influence. I encourage you to seek to be a student yourself, to notice how it feels to have your work critiqued, to observe your reactions when a teacher’s review matters to you. This will help you understand your student’s reactions.
