In this case, the feedback was specific and related to a goal
(stimulating students to do extra assignments and work together in
groups) and also evoked a positive emotion in the student. The
student again showed joy and knew exactly why the compliment
was paid. The chance that this specific feedback will lead to
enhanced learning seems greater
Returning to our discussion on the impact of positive and
negative feedback on emotions, we should not neglect that this
type of non-specific positive feedback indirectly influences
learning. In their observations of management teams, Losada and
Heaphy (2004) found that high ratios of positive to negative feedback
were a crucial factor for high-performing teams, and that low
ratios were characteristic of low-performing teams. They made no
distinction between specific and non-specific positive feedback.
Losada and Heaphy (2004) linked the ratio of positive and negative
feedback to the creation of “emotional spaces.” As they stated:
“Positivity and negativity interact as powerful feedback systems to
generate different emotional spaces” (Losada & Heaphy, 2004, p.
744). They concluded that positive feedback generates expansive
emotional spaces that open up possibilities for learning. Negative
feedback, however, creates restricted emotional spaces that close
down possibilities for learning. Earlier, we described similar findings
by Fredrickson (2001) about the narrowing influence of
negative emotions on a person's momentary thought-action
repertoire.
Non-specific and specific positive feedback both seemed to in-
fluence the “emotional space” necessary for learning. We hypothesize that non-specific feedback does indirectly influence
learning via emotional spaces. These effects will not appear in
laboratory studies nor in studies where the dependent variables are
short-term learning results
In this section, we made an attempt to show that nuancing our
knowledge of feedback is necessary. We proposed referring to
praise as non-specific positive feedback and discussed the possible
indirect influence of praise or non-specific feedback on learning
through the emotions it evokes and the possible creation of
expansive emotional spaces.