Progress-focused

Flipped learning (FL) is an innovative educational model that inverts the traditional classroom structure. In this model, students prepare at home with study materials, such as video lectures and reading materials, and then use classroom time for in-depth exploration of the topics. This method stimulates intrinsic motivation (IM) and independent learning, leading to a deeper and more meaningful learning process. Many in education are already somewhat familiar with FL and its benefits. Yet FL could be applied more.

Sometimes people ask me why I am vegan. In our conversations they may bring forward worries and counterarguments. In my view, these are usually based on misunderstandings. In this article, I will first discuss my reasons for being vegan. Then, I will address several common misconceptions.

The quest for productivity at work often leads to the idea that working more equals better results. This perspective, supplemented with anecdotes about CEOs who wake up early and work weekends, dominates the popular literature. But what if the key to both wellness and performance actually lies in taking breaks? This line of thinking was explored in a systematic review of more than 80 studies on taking breaks in the workplace, conducted by  Lyubykh & Gulseren (2023) .

This week, someone wrote the following: "‘You should just do what I say even if you disagree with it’ is really no longer acceptable." I agree with her. Managers who speak like this exhibit an authoritarian attitude that says, "You must do what I say, and I don't care about your opinion." Such an approach to management undermines the relationship between the manager and employee and the quality of the employee’s motivation.” Let’s move from authoritarian to progress-focused leadership.

Below you can read three conversations between an HR advisor and a manager. The manager's approach is not effective in the first three conversations, but it is in the fourth conversation. In the first two conversations the HR advisor's approach is not effective, but in the third conversation, an example of progress-focused advice, it is.

The PFP-approach is a powerful progress-focused tool. PFP stands for Progress-focused Future-projection Questions. This methodology uses a series of five strategically chosen questions that help individuals or teams visualize their future goals and identify the necessary steps to achieve these goals. The power of PFP lies in its simplicity and effectiveness, making it a valuable tool in team and organizational development.

Innovative work behavior plays an important role in achieving progress in organizations. In this article, I discuss a study by Papachristopoulos et al. (2023) , which examines how basic psychological needs and prosocial motivation influence creativity and innovative work behavior (IWB) within organizations.

Recently, at a birthday party, I spoke to someone who was very concerned about all the problems that our modern era brings. He saw overpopulation as one of the biggest problems. When I said that developments in food technology could provide a good solution for the growing world population, he said with an expression of disgust: “Food technology! The word alone disgusts me! No, my vision is that the world population must be drastically reduced and that we must restore our connection with nature.” I was reminded of this conversation when I came across an article about the naturalness preference ( Zhang & Yu, 2023 ).

We live in a time where artificial intelligence (AI) is starting to revolutionize our lives. New research ( Li, 2023 ) shows how intellectual humility – realizing the fallibility of our beliefs and knowledge – influences our attitudes towards AI, specifically ChatGPT . Four studies with a total of 943 participants investigate this, using both self-report and behavioral outcome variables.

Recent research ( Woznicki et al., 2023 ) examines the formation of classroom microclimates within STEM courses. This study looked at how course goal structures and instructor mindsets contribute to these microclimates and their impact on student perceptions and experiences.

Someone told me the following: “The atmosphere in our team is bad and we have already tried several things to improve the atmosphere. We held a meeting to discuss the problem, but it only led to the atmosphere becoming even worse. We organized a dinner but half the team didn't even show up. What must we do?" The question is legitimate because a negative team atmosphere can negatively affect both job satisfaction and the performance of a team. Here are some ideas to turn around a negative team atmosphere. Research: how do you reverse a negative team atmosphere? An interesting study that sheds light on this issue is the study by De Jong et al. (2014) . They investigated three strategies to tackle this: communication density (frequent communication within the team), exchange between team members (mutual support and feedback), task interdependence (cooperation and dependence in task performance). The study found that the strategies of exchange between team members and task interde...

A recent study ( Boncquet et al., 2023 ) investigated the influence of mindset and motivation on the academic performance of first-year secondary school students (N=3415). This study focused on the quality of motivation according to self-determination theory and the mindset about intelligence following Carol Dweck's framework. The goal was to reveal the impact on learning outcomes such as engagement, learning strategies, and performance.

  A new study by Reeve et al. (2023) , explores a new model within Self-Determination Theory (SDT), the tripartite motivation model. This model focuses on understanding the underlying causes of impaired functioning in students. The findings promise new insights into how educational environments can influence student motivation and engagement.

In a short 2016 article by Carol Dweck in the Harvard Business Review, she discusses some misunderstandings about the growth mindset. The article also contains a short animation. Below you can read the three misconceptions that Carol Dweck discusses in the article. I will provide a brief comment for each misconception.

Here are some recent research updates relevant to the progress-focused approach:

Stress , the experience or expectation of setbacks in our attempts to achieve goals, is inevitable in professional life. It has both positive and negative effects. Recent research by Alia Crum et al. (2023) shows that we can influence how stress affects us. The key lies in our stress mindset .

Babij et al. (2023 ) looked at how our mindset – our beliefs about the changeability of personal traits – can influence the way we view mental health and the associated stigmas.

In the modern, globalizing world, where organizations are becoming increasingly diverse, the understanding of polyculturalism in organizations is of great importance. Polyculturalism is based on the idea that cultures are constantly changing and merging through interethnic or intercultural connections. But how does the individual cultural mindset of employees influence this polyculturalism? A recent article by Huang, Yang & Kung (2023) delves deeper into this issue and highlights the importance of cultural mindset in this context.

The word “logic” comes from the Greek word “logos,” which has several translations, including word, reason and discussion.  Logic  is the study of correct reasoning or argumentation.  This amounts to deriving valid inferences.  Logical fallacies are erroneous arguments that can still appear believable because they can be psychologically convincing.  Formal logic errors occur when there is an incorrect logical structure.  Informal logic errors are arguments based on incorrect premises or confusing language.  Here are some common logical fallacies:

Here is a knowledge quiz about logical fallacies. The quiz consists of 14 multiple choice questions. Just try it. Once you have taken the quiz, you can see how many questions you got right and you can also see what the correct answer is for each question. I'm curious if you encounter errors in reasoning that you didn't know about yet.

We want to get people moving in education, training and work. How do we do that? Roughly speaking, two motivational styles have been distinguished, both of which are common: the controlling motivational style and the autonomy-supportive motivational style . Much research from self-determination theory has shown that the autonomy-supportive style is far superior (see for example here ). People feel better about it and they function better. But the controlling style, however ineffective, is still very common. How did that happen?

In a recent discussion between a policymaker and a journalist, an interesting point was raised. The policymaker argued for a vision for the future society and a plan to achieve it. In response, the journalist objected: “Yes, but a vision is so abstract, we now have to make sharp choices.” However, as was rightly pointed out by an expert, Jan Rotmans , this is a false dilemma. A vision actually necessitates making sharp choices—to cease old practices and accelerate new ones. This can be achieved by linking a vision to a strategy and actions, because a vision without action is meaningless, but action without a vision is directionless. I not only agree with this perspective but also find it to be a brilliant illustration of the importance of logic. Without understanding logic, we are more likely to make the mistake of seeing false dilemmas. With insight into logic, we can prevent such errors more effectively.

The mindset theory was developed by the famous psychologist Carol Dweck . The growth mindset is a way of thinking where individuals believe that their intelligence, knowledge and skills can be developed through hard work, dedication and perseverance. People with a growth mindset are open to challenges and feedback, and see mistakes as opportunities to learn and grow. In contrast to this is the fixed mindset , in which people believe that their qualities are fixed and cannot be changed.

Self-determination theory (SDT) was developed by Edward Deci and Richard Ryan . They are now among the most-cited psychologists in the world. SDT is the best-researched and most influential motivation theory today. We discuss the value of the SDT for education, showing how important autonomy support and structure are for good motivation.

Broadly speaking, there are two ways to think about the malleability of our traits and capabilities. When we have a growth mindset , we see traits and abilities as developable. In a fixed mindset we see them as not or hardly capable of development. In addition to individual mindsets, there are also mindset cultures . Researchers Wallace et al. (2023) explored the impacts of these cultures, uncovering three findings about growth mindset cultures in organizations and classrooms.

People are inherently driven to grow and seek progress. This desire for progress extends to all facets of our lives – from early childhood to late old age. The question of how we can best achieve progress is not always simple. Different situations require different approaches. It can be very helpful to become familiar with four general progress strategies.

Cameron Hecht and colleagues have written an article about the importance of cultivating a growth mindset for reducing inequality in education. It provides an up-to-date insight into what growth mindset researchers are currently focusing on. Here are some key points from the article.

Recently I had a conversation with someone who eats a vegetarian diet. She asked me why I had chosen a vegan diet. I shared my arguments with her, namely that veganism is better for animals, is beneficial to health and reduces the burden on the environment . She was surprised that I mentioned health benefits of veganism, so I told her that there is a lot of scientific research that supports this. I offered to share some research data with her, but her response was unexpected. She said, 'No, never mind. I'm afraid that might leave me with no excuse not to go vegan.' A remarkable reaction, isn't it? Anyway, for those who do want to find out more, I've collected some recent studies here, all from 2023:

Below you will find an ordered overview of research updates from the past 3 months. The links point to 100 - 200 word summaries of the studies. They are in Dutch. To read them in English, use the translate button (upper right).

Through a post on LinkedIn , I came across an article by Nidhi Sachdeva about MicroLearning. As a researcher at the University of Toronto, she has focused on the need for concise and purposeful learning methods. In an ever-faster-moving world where we are bombarded with information, micro-lessons can help us learn with focus and effectiveness.

Canadian researchers Marlee Mercer and Duygu Biricik Gulseren investigated the potentially harmful consequences of negative feedback aimed at undergraduate students ( Mercer & Gulseren, 2023 ). Performance feedback is essential in higher education, especially to support students in their learning process. Giving negative feedback can also be necessary and useful. However, negative feedback can be unintentionally harmful, especially when it is more general than constructive criticism and does not target specific behaviors.

Feedback can be valuable. Feedback, information about the effects of our behavior, can help us become better at what we do. By definition, we ourselves have only a limited view of the effects of our actions. Other people look at what we do from a different perspective and can therefore see different things. In addition, they may have more or different knowledge and skills, so that their feedback can be extra instructive for us. Whether these positive effects of feedback are realized, however, depends on what the feedback is about and how effectively the feedback is provided. But when do you give feedback and how do you do it effectively? Read more about that question below.

Just over 10 years ago, there was a scandal about the psychologist Diederik Stapel, who had committed fraud on a large scale in his investigations. Recently, there have been some reports about scientists who probably did not act ethically. 

Difficult conversations play a central role in personal development, conflict resolution, and social progress. These conversations can range from parents discussing sensitive topics like death and racism to professionals needing to convey uncomfortable truths. A recent publication by Emma Levine, a University of Chicago honesty researcher, which she co-authored with several colleagues, sheds new light on the complex dynamics of awkward conversations.

  What values and goals young people embrace has a major impact on the identity they develop, how they function, and how good they feel. If so, then the next question is important: what kinds of values and goals are good for us and which are less good? Broadly speaking, there are two types of answers for which there is some evidence but which are at odds with each other: the self-determination theory ( Ryan & Deci, 2017 ) and the person-environment fit perspective ( Kristof-Brown et al., 2005 ).

  Do you know the following feeling? You go to a conference or a farewell reception, and you walk into a room full of strangers. You feel insecure and find it scary to approach people to start a conversation. You worry about whether they will like you and whether you will make a positive impression on them. Just because they look at you kindly doesn't automatically mean you like them. People are good at acting sometimes. If you recognize this kind of insecurity in yourself, read on. A study by Boothby et al. (2018) shows surprising findings that are important for the types of situations described above.

Behavioral change is a complex and challenging process that plays a central role in many aspects of life, from health to productivity and sustainability. Researchers Gail McMillan, Marina Milyavskaya, and Rachel J. Burns have recently explored this topic, with a focus on how contextual changes can influence the potential for behavior change. Their study sheds new light on behavior change, providing interesting insights that may be useful to individuals and policymakers.

 In 1997, American comedian Bob Newhart surprised the public with an absurd sketch about a therapist, Dr. Switzer, whose method of advice seems completely ridiculous at first glance. However, this humorous portrayal highlights a deeper truth about behavior change.

Recently, Itzchakov et al. (2023) examined the influence of listening quality on feelings of loneliness, especially in people who have shared an experience of social rejection. The researchers expected that high-quality listening, defined as behavior that conveys attention, understanding, and positive intentions, would have several positive effects on the person telling about the painful experience.

In a new review article, Lemay, Le, Clark (2023) describe research into the impact of good listening on relationships. Here I will briefly discuss some things from their article.

In a new study, Crystal Hoyt, Jeni Burnette, Emma Nash, and Whitney Becker from the University of Richmond examine the societal implications of growth mindsets regarding anxiety (Hoyt et al., 2023) . They consider whether the personal benefits offered by such a mindset can have unintended adverse social effects.

Intuitively, we tend to stay in our comfort zones to feel safe and secure. But researchers Russo-Netzer & Cohen (2023) suspected that we would do well to regularly step outside our comfort zone. They investigated whether this could increase people's life satisfaction.

What is effective leadership? The effective leader was once seen as the undisputed, dominant authority who understood everything and made every decision. But our view of what constitutes effective and acceptable leadership has transformed significantly over the years. Ancient beliefs about leadership were heavily based on dogmas and intuitions. But we can no longer rely solely on our intuitions when it comes to determining leadership quality. Empirical research has proven its necessity in discovering what really works in leadership. Psychological science offers indispensable methods and crucial insights. In this article, I dive deeper into some of these studies, which illustrate how empirical science has fundamentally changed our view of leadership.

German researchers Emily Kleszewski and Kathleen Otto conducted a study to understand the effects of different forms of perfectionism on employee well-being. To design their research, they relied on a combination of the literature on perfectionism and the Self-Determination Theory (SDT) to investigate this. It turned out that different forms of perfectionism have different effects on our well-being at work.

Human behavior is a puzzle that scientists are trying to understand. A group of researchers, led by Kaitlyn M. Werner of the University of Toronto, recently looked at a peculiar piece of this puzzle: perfectionism. They wondered whether frustration with our basic psychological needs – autonomy, competence and relatedness – influences the degree of perfectionism we display.

How important is autonomy support in the workplace? A favorable working environment can have a significant impact on employee well-being. But what factors contribute to these favorable conditions? Recent research by Mokgata et al. (2022) shows that the degree of autonomy employees experience in their workplace is essential for their work performance and engagement. This article discusses the results of this important study, explains how different forms of support contribute to perceived autonomy and illustrates how these factors influence work behavior.

In 2020, after meeting Donald Trump and five others, American politician Chris Christie ended up seriously ill with COVID-19 in the hospital's intensive care unit. He barely survived. During his stay, he received a call from Trump, also infected, who asked that Christie not tell the press that he contracted the disease from him. Christie agreed, ignorant of who had infected whom. Later, Christie learned confidentially from two reporters that Trump had told them that Christie had given him COVID. It later turned out that Trump had already tested positive for COVID before the meeting with Christie ( source ). An intriguing paradox of our time is the phenomenon where leaders who have been publicly exposed as chain liars still retain a significant following. Striking examples are Donald Trump and Boris Johnson . It's as if their dishonesty has some sort of attraction, even after their lies are exposed. This paradox raises a pressing question: why do people continue to support dish...

Growth mindset promotion through value alignment can lead to better school performance and less inequality. Education is constantly looking for ways to improve the school performance of students. Another important goal is to reduce inequality in education. The challenge is to discover how we can achieve this in the most effective way. Recent research by three American researchers offers a possible solution. They developed an intervention aimed at promoting a growth mindset in students.

We live in a world where technological progress is the order of the day. A remarkable book that explores this dynamic has recently begun to attract attention. Entitled ' Power and Progress ', the book explores the complex interaction between technological development, especially artificial intelligence (AI), and socio-economic change. Written by Daron Acemoglu and Simon Johnson, two economists from the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the book is currently getting a lot of interest. Although I haven't read the book myself yet, the reviews I've seen make me curious.

Technological complexity and economic challenges are growing aspects of our time. Companies and governments are increasingly looking for help from consultants. These consultants provide strategic advice and operational expertise. However, economists Mariana Mazzucato and Rosie Collington warn in their book " The Big Con ". They signal the dangers of this growing dependency. This article describes some implications of their analysis, additions from the review of the English version of the book, and some possible solutions.

Today, many people see stress mainly as something negative. But recent research by Alia Crum and her colleagues shows that our perception of stress can make a significant difference. Furthermore, it shows that training our metacognition – our thinking about thinking – can help us change our stress mindset from negative to positive. In this article, we first examine what a stress mindset entails and why it is important. We then describe Crum's research and delve into three recent experiments exploring the power of metacognition in stress management. The Importance of a Stress Mindset Research by David Yeager and colleagues has already shown that our perception of stress matters a great deal ( read more ). How we look at our own stress response in challenging circumstances plays a crucial role. A negative stress mindset interprets your own stress as an indication that you are going to fail. This mindset amplifies your stress, undermines your motivation and performance, and can inc...