Photo credit: Rick White
This short TED talk sheds some light on a phenomena called negativity bias. Negativity bias refers to “the tendency for humans to pay more attention or give more weight to negative experiences over positive ones.”
Alison Ledgerwood, professor of psychology at UC Davis, argues that once you view things in a negative light, it takes work to get unstuck.
As I watched this video, my mind was instantly cast toward the dangers of ingratitude and discouragement in ministry. Or to put it positively, Ledgerwood’s talk underscored the importance of expressing gratitude and training our mind to dwell upon the good things God has done (Philippians 4:8).
Read MorePhoto credit Rick White
Many years ago, Robert Rosenthal conducted an educational study were he discovered what we now call the “Pygmalion Effect.” In this study, researchers told one group of teachers that their students were exceptionally bright. Their IQ scores were far superior to that of normal students. They might act lazy at times and they might act like they cannot understand or master some material, but this didn’t fit with the facts. They had a profound capacity for learning and success. Researchers gave another group of teachers a very different perspective of the students they would be teaching. Their students weren’t that bright. Their IQ scores weren’t that high. Although some might show promise, they possess a lower capacity to learn.
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