The Power of Listening in Helping People Change
Abstract
Giving performance feedback is one of the most common ways managers help their subordinates learn and improve. Yet, research revealed that feedback could actually hurt performance: More than 20 years ago, one of us (Kluger) analyzed 607 experiments on feedback effectiveness and found that feedback caused performance to decline in 38% of cases. This happened with both positive and negative feedback, mostly when the feedback threatened how people saw themselves.
When attitudes and habits don’t correspond: Self-control depletion increases persuasion but not behavior
Guy Itzchakov, Liad Uziel , Wendy Wood
Attitudes
Changing attitudes does not necessarily involve the same psychological processes as changing behavior, yet
social psychology is only just beginning to identify the different mechanisms involved. We contribute to this
understanding by showing that the moderators of attitude change are not necessarily the moderators of behavior
change. The results of three studies (Ns = 98, 104, 137) employing an ego depletion manipulation indicate that
although people are more likely to agree with a persuasive message when executive control is reduced they are
not more likely to change their behavior. Rather, under conditions of ego depletion, attitudes became less correlated with behaviors after persuasion. Moreover, in Study 3, we provide an explanation for this phenom-
enon: People are more likely to agree with a persuasive message when depleted but are also more likely to fall back on habits that may conflict with their new evaluations. A mini meta-analysis of the data indicated that ego-
depletion had a medium effect size on the difference between attitude change and behavior change, N = 339, d = −0.51, 95% CI [−0.72, −0.29]. Jointly, these studies suggest an integrative, resource-based explanation
to attitude-behavior discrepancies subsequent to persuasion.
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Listening and perceived responsiveness: Unveiling the significance and exploring crucial research endeavors
Guy Itzchakov and Harry T. Reis
Listening
Abstract
Listening and perceived responsiveness evoke a sense of
interpersonal connection that benefits individuals and groups
and is relevant to almost every field in Psychology, Management, Education, Communication, and Health, to name a few.
In this paper, we, researchers who have devoted their careers
to studying listening (first author) and perceived responsiveness (second author), address the necessity of integrating the
two constructs. Moreover, we offer several questions for future
research that we believe are crucial to produce a more profound and comprehensive understanding of this important
process. These research questions include empirical issues,
cross-cultural and inter-racial interactions, age differences, the
emergence of new technologies, and opportunities to bridge
political, ethnic, and social divides. By highlighting the undeniable impact of listening and perceived responsiveness on
interpersonal connection across diverse domains, we emphasize the need to integrate these constructs in future research.
Our proposed set of eight pivotal research questions is intended as a starting point for gaining a deeper and more holistic
understanding of this critical study area while building a strong
empirical foundation for interventions. By addressing these
questions, we can foster meaningful advances that have the
potential to bridge gaps, improve relationships, and enhance
the well-being of individuals and communities alike.
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