Negotiating the minefield: Social conventions surrounding group criticism and their role in explaining defensiveness

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People often describe the delivery of group criticism as a 'minefield', because of the potential for mistrust, hostility and defensiveness. When it comes to group criticism, being right is not enough; one must also obey certain conventions that are designed to minimize hurt and denial. In this project we explore for the first time what these 'rules of engagement' are, and what this means for those who wish to promote positive change in groups. This will have applied implications in that it will help provide specific recommendations regarding how to negotiate sensitive issues within a range of cultural, national, and corporate groups.