Plot twist: it never was 🖕🏽
Research shows ‘compliment sandwich’ no longer effective
Submitted 1 month ago by Pro@mander.xyz to science@mander.xyz
https://news.westernu.ca/2025/08/compliment-sandwich-not-effective/
Comments
otter@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 month ago
otp@sh.itjust.works 1 month ago
It works the first couple of times the receiver gets feedback that way. In their entire lives.
I’ve realized that what the article says applies to me – it can be hard to receive positive feedback when you’re anticipating the upcoming “constructive feedback”.
And then you’re left wondering how hard it was for them to come up with the positive stuff. Is the positive stuff all fake just for the purposes of wrapping the “constructive” part?
otter@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 month ago
Frankly, it’s always seemed to me like a polishing of the turd inherent to “Nothing matters before the ‘but’.” It’s exactly that old bullshit, plus another pandering half-thought at the end. The shit sandwich is the fastest way to lose my interest, much less respect. 🤌🏼
Aurenkin@sh.itjust.works 1 month ago
We call it a shit sandwich here
Sterile_Technique@lemmy.world 1 month ago
Pretty sure everywhere calls it that. The article emphasizing it by renaming a sandwich for the bread and not the contents in the middle is just a lack of creativity.
TheBat@lemmy.world 1 month ago
No more complimentary sandwich with my order of soup? 😞
lost_faith@lemmy.ca 1 month ago
No soup for you!
porksnort@slrpnk.net 1 month ago
Jfc, it never was effective. Anyone who has ever taken this formula seriously is an emotional moron.
memfree@piefed.social 1 month ago
This sounds like too many people only offer compliments immediately before a complaint. Further down, the article lists alternate strategies, but never gets to the idea of giving intermittent positive reinforcement.
AcidiclyBasicGlitch@sh.itjust.works 1 month ago
It’s so easy to underestimate positive reinforcement, but it can make a big difference.
Personally, I don’t mind receiving a compliment sandwich as long as the compliments are genuine, and the criticism is constructive.
I can tell when people are doing it, but still appreciate the effort when it’s done right. There are probably better strategies to use, but definitely prefer that to the ultra negative shit on everything management style. I had a boss like that for ~2 years, and it just made every aspect of work so miserable.
tacosanonymous@mander.xyz 1 month ago
It literally skips the greatest tool in behavior modification?! Big oof