Descriptive Feedback

In my Exchange article, "Guidelines for Effective Use of Feedback," I suggest that feedback should focus on descriptions, not judgments...

"In describing an event, a director reports an event to a teacher exactly as it occurred. A judgment of this event, however, refers to an evaluation in terms of good or bad, right or wrong, nice or not nice.  Feedback, which appears evaluative, increases defensiveness.  It can readily be seen how teachers react defensively to judgments that are negative or critical.  But it is often believed that positive judgments — praise —  can be very effective as a motivational and learning tool. However, studies have shown that the use of praise has little long-term impact on employees' performance. Often, praise arouses defensiveness rather than dispelling it. Parents, teachers, and supervisors so often 'sugarcoat' criticism with praise ('You had a great lesson today, but ...') that when we are praised, we automatically get ready for the shock, for the reproof."

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