Flip the script: overcoming negativity bias for positive growth

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Overcoming Negativity Bias for Positive Growth Giulia Panozzo NEUROSCIENTIVE Speakerdeck.com/giuliapanozzo @SequinsNsearch Flip The Script

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Negativity Bias @SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO

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Influences Perception Information Processing/Retrieval and Decision Making @SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO

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Source: Daily LinkedIn Doomscroll @SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO

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Except…

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Functional asymmetries have been isolated at the neural level @SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO (Lewis et al., 2007; Winston et al., 2005)

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@SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO (Ito et al., 2017) pgACC hyperactivity

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Larger LPP amplitudes for negative stimuli (ERPs studies) @SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO

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And at a behavioral level, from a very early age @SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO

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Overattention to the negative made sense from an evolutionary perspective @SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO

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And impact different areas in our daily life, including our online behaviour… @SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO

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From the ﬁrst touchpoints… @SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO

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@SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO

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😱 @SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO

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😭☠ • ‘He’s gone’ • ‘The goodbye is very painful’ • ‘A real tragedy’ @SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO In some languages, the dial is way up 🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹

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😇🕺 Not dead - He just le. TV for theatre! @SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO

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@SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO

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To the very end of the funnel @SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO

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@SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO

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@SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO

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@SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO Negative VS Positive Website Reviews: 46% VS 27% Source: Zendesk, 2023

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@SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO

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So we’re hardwired for negativity, and this can spare us some unpleasant scenarios @SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO

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But in a non-threatening situation, the bias can can become maladaptive @SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO

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Meet: ✨Pessimism✨ @SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO

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Implications on self-perception, performance and health @SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO

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Seligman: health, success @SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO

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How about our professional life?

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Feelings at Work Questionnaire August 2023 124 responses @SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO

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3 myths that were debunked (+ 1 that wasn’t) @SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO

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1. “No news is good news” @SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO

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Lack of feedback: 64% anticipate negative @SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO

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Context Ambiguity = Negative for 60% of participants @SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO

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Career Ambiguity = Negative for 62% of participants @SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO

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@SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO 2. “Confident people don’t experience negativity bias”

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@SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO 54% ruminate on perceived failures at work 54 % 46 % 😊 😞

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@SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO These are all people that know they can do their job well 86.3% “I feel competent at what I do”

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@SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO And report healthy ways to face challenges

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@SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO 3. “> Senior = > Positive” 👴 📈

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@SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO

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@SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO 4. “There’s a gender imbalance in experiencing negativity”

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@SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO Well…yeah 🏆

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Why should organisations care about the negativity bias?

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Nega%ve thoughts create resistance to change @SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO (Richard Boyatzis)

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And impair decision making @SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO (Richard Metzger)

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Also, emo)ons spread like wildﬁre (Emo)onal Resonance) @SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO

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And a pessimis%c organiza%on is not set up for success @SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO

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@SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO The curious case of In 1986 VS

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@SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO Explanatory Style Permanence Pervasiveness Personalisa7on

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Op/mis/c explanatory style > skills/talent @SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO

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Op/mis/c explanatory style > skills/talent @SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO Predictor of performance across a number of personal and professional domains (M. Seligman)

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What small tweaks can organisations make?

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What c @SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO Minimise ambiguity and foster transparency at the company level

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Balance your interview focus during recruitment @SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO New perspective and skills Boxes not Hcked by the candidate

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Effect of Negative Priming @SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO

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Modify language and encourage your team to do so too @SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO ‘issue’ ‘problems’ ‘failures’ ‘opportunity’ ‘solu=ons’ ‘redirec=on’

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Celebrate wins regularly @SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO

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Enable two-way feedback Helplessness comes from perceived lack of control @SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO

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Provide mentorship opportuni>es @SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO

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We’ve seen what work can do to ﬂip the script @SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO

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And work is a massive part of our life @SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO 70% carry negative work thoughts into personal life

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But what else can we do as individuals to flip the script in our daily life? @SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO

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Learning and Neuroplasticity

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@SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO A N T utomatic ega)ve houghts

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We might be born with negativity in our veins (and brains), but we’ve also got the ability of changing that @SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO

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Learning rewires our connec>ons @SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO Neuroplas*city

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We can learn some techniques to change our thoughts, behaviours and our responses to adversity @SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO

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Beliefs Consequence Adversity A B C The ABC(DE) Model By Albert Ellis @SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO

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@SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO Beliefs Truth

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Now it’s your turn What you think What you feel or do as a result An adverse / unpleasant situa:on A B C @SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO

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Distraction & Disputation @SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO How do we cope?

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Energiza:on Disputa:on D E The ABC(DE) Model Evidence Alternatives Implications Usefulness @SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO

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Let’s not forget that negative emotions are useful

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Not ignoring the nega,ve, but providing ways to adapt to challenges Flexible VS Blind Optimism @SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO

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@SequinsNsearch | #BrightonSEO When NOT not apply ‘learned optimism’ When the cost of failure is high