Introduction
Dealing with criticism is a challenging experience for most people. If not handled effectively, criticism will impede improvements in performance, diminish self-esteem and lead to aggressive behavior or social withdrawal. Handled well, criticism can promote learning, improve performance, and enhance self-confidence. This program presents effective ways in which children and young adolescents can cope with criticism.
Criticism Module Objectives
This program will teach students to:
- Understand what criticism is.
- Distinguish valid/fair criticism from invalid/unfair criticism.
- Understand why people give criticism.
- Identify characteristics of:
- A Looking COLD (passive, giving up), Thinking COLD, and Acting COLD response to criticism,
- A Looking HOT (aggressive, blowing up), Thinking HOT, and Acting HOT response to criticism.
- Identify drawbacks of the HOT and COLD responses to criticism.
- Identify the three steps of the COOL response to criticism:
- LOOK COOL: Detached nonthreatening demeanor
- THINK COOL: Non-blaming Perceiving Style
- ACT COOL: Uses "I" statements and asserts rights with respect and fairness
- Clarify/Accept-Lesson 1
- Explain Your Side Lesson 2
- Identify the benefits of the COOL response to criticism.
- Recall and perform the three steps of the assertive COOL response to criticism in roleplay and real situations.
Criticism Defined
Criticism refers to negative statements about a person's behavior, task performance, appearance, or other characteristics. Critical comments indicate that a person's characteristics or actions fall short of the criticizer's expectations, and therefore, need modification or improvement.
Valid and Invalid Criticism
Valid or fair criticism is an accurate or objectively true account of someone's behavior or characteristics relative to reasonable or generally agreed-upon standards. For example, telling a student that he is late and needs to be on time when he arrives at school fifteen minutes late is valid.
There are two types of invalid or unfair criticism. One refers to an inaccurate or untrue assessment of someone's actions or characteristics. For example, telling a student he was late when he actually arrived on time is invalid. The other type of invalid criticism refers to giving an accurate account of someone's actions or characteristics relative to unreasonable standards or expectations. For example, a baseball coach telling a team member that being one minute late on one occasion is a serious problem is not valid.
Why People Criticize
People criticize other's performance or characteristics for two reasons. First, critical feedback may assist the person giving criticism in getting others to meet his/her expectations. Second, criticism may be given to assist others in meeting his/her own needs. Negative comments made to incite anger, sadden, or intimidate others are considered teasing or bullying and are addressed in other modules.