Clifford Nass is a Professor of Communication at Stanford University. He was recently interviewed by Ira Flatow on NPR's Science Friday broadcast.
Nass has been exploring communication in a unique and very interesting manner. He creates experiments to understand communication fundamentals by watching how people talk to their computers. From mobile phones, to GPS systems, to laptops, he is fascinated by what we can learn about how we interact with each other by watching how we interact with technology, especially certain kinds of devices.
His most recent book, The Man Who Lied To His Computer, relates a number of his findings, but if you listen to podcasts, download the Science Friday's September 3, 2010 episode featuring Flatow's interview with Nass. Or if you want to listen to it right now, click this link.
The part of his findings that most intrigued me was his comments on how to give effective criticism. You have probably heard or thought that when giving tough feedback to someone you should start with a positive. Nass would agree. He also recommends that you limit your negative comments to a very select, relevant few, and that you end with positive comments. To understand why, listen to the podcast or read his book.
One of the most powerful thoughts concerned criticism that morphs into blanket blaming. (You've been there. Your boss is a jerk which leads to rants about how all bosses are jerks.) In politics, an individual who uses negative ads to win can boost his or her chances, but negative ads poison the general population's opinion of all politicians and even the politic system. You help yourself in the short run but damage everyone in the long run (including yourself) with negative ads.
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