Glossary / Lexicon

Deutsch: Rückmeldung / Español: Retroalimentación / Português: Feedback / Français: Retour d'information / Italiano: Feedback /

Feedback is defined as information returned to a person about the effects a response has had. It is a communication pattern in which information about the consequences of an event is reintroduced into the system; a valuative information about one’s behavior. In Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Feedback means roviding employees with specific information about how well they are performing a task or series of tasks. Feedback is a non-judgmental conversation that points out both positive and negative aspects of performance or positive and negative reactions to a person’s behavior for the purpose of the individual’s growth and understanding, in contrast with Criticism Feedback is also known as "knowledge of results".

Description

Feedback in psychology refers to the process of providing individuals with information about their performance or behavior in order to promote self-awareness and facilitate improvement. This information can be delivered through various channels such as verbal communication, written reports, or visual cues. Feedback plays a crucial role in the learning and development of individuals by helping them understand their strengths and weaknesses, set goals, and monitor progress. It can be both positive, reinforcing desired behaviors, or negative, highlighting areas for improvement. Effective feedback is specific, timely, and actionable, helping individuals make meaningful changes and enhance their performance.

Application Areas

• Educational settings: Teachers provide students with feedback on their academic performance to support learning and growth.
• Clinical psychology: Therapists give feedback to clients to help them understand their thoughts and behaviors and work towards positive changes.
• Workplace environments: Managers offer feedback to employees to improve job performance and professional development.
• Sports coaching: Coaches provide feedback to athletes to enhance their skills and performance in competitions.

Treatment and Risks

• Treatment: Feedback can be used as a therapeutic tool in counseling and psychotherapy to facilitate self-reflection and promote behavior change.
• Risks: Inaccurate or poorly delivered feedback can lead to misunderstandings, decreased motivation, or negative emotional responses in individuals receiving the feedback.

Examples

• A therapist providing feedback to a client on their progress in therapy sessions.
• A teacher giving feedback to a student on their essay with suggestions for improvement.
• An employer offering constructive feedback to an employee on their performance appraisal.

Similar Concepts and Synonyms

• Constructive criticism
• Evaluation
• Assessment
• Response

Articles with 'Feedback' in the title

• Biofeedback: Biofeedback refers to provision of information to a person regarding one or more physiological processes in an effort to enable the person to gain some element of voluntary control over bodily functions that normally operate outside of . . .
• Destructive feedback: Destructive feedback: Destructive feedback refers to feedback that disapproves without any intention of being helpful and almost always causes a negative or defensive reaction in the recipient
• Facial feedback hypothesis: Facial feedback hypothesis: Facial Feedback hypothesis is a hypothesis which states that sensations from facial expressions help define what Emotion a person feels
• Feedback loop: Feedback loop is defined as the section of a control system that allows for feedback and self-correction and that adjusts its operation according to differences between the actual output and the desired output
• Multiple-source feedback: Multiple-source feedback refers to a performance Appraisal strategy in which an employee receives Feedback from sources, such as the clients, subordinates, peers other than just his/ her supervisor
• Negative feedback: Negative feedback is telling employees what they are doing incorrectly in order to improve their performance of a task. Negative feedback describes the response from a control system that reduces the size of the stimulus, example, an . . .
• Proprioceptive feedback: Proprioceptive feedback refers to sensory information from the muscles, tendons, and joints that help one to locate the position of one’s body or body parts in space

Weblinks

• information-lexikon.de: 'Feedback' in the information-lexikon.de (German)
• industrie-lexikon.de: 'Feedback' in the industrie-lexikon.de (German)

Summary

Feedback in psychology is a fundamental process that involves providing individuals with information about their performance or behavior to promote self-awareness and growth. It plays a critical role in various settings, such as education, therapy, and the workplace, by facilitating learning, development, and behavior change. Effective feedback should be specific, timely, and actionable, fostering improvement and achievement in individuals.

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