Marking with the 5:1 Ratio with Jaz Papadopoulos

When I mark in Speedgrader, I like to use the highlighter / annotations tool to leave comments. One of the reasons for this is that it makes grading a lot easier for me – I highlight things that I liked and things that earn marks (Great imagery! or Inciting incident; rising stakes; resolution). I believe that these sideline comments offer students specificity, and thus are more helpful for students who want to recognize and hone in on their skills. 

But more than this, the comments help me fulfill the 5:1 ratio for positive feedback.

A 2004 study by researchers Marcial Losada and Emily Heaphy explored team connectivity and business performance. The results showed that the highest performing business teams had a 5:1 ratio: five instances of praise for every one instance of critical feedback. 

This is actually a rule I learned while working as wilderness therapist for “hard to reach” youth – we, as staff, were required to give a child 5 instances of positive feedback before trying to make a behaviour adjustment. (5:1 is actually a very low ratio in this context – other studies suggest that for folks with challenges around connectivity, the successful ratio is more like 16:1).

It can be enticing to focus on places of improvement, especially in a capitalist society that demands productivity, and even more so when it’s 2 a.m. and I’m looking at 300 pages of second year poetry that all seems to heavily rely on ABAB rhyme schemes and I just want to tell them all to STOP RHYMING. But, this research shows that criticism undermines self-confidence and initiative, meaning that though the recipient may change their behaviour, the motivation will be compliance rather than genuine effort. 

“Only positive feedback can motivate people to continue doing what they’re doing well,” the Harvard Business Review writes, reflecting on this research, “and do it with more vigor, determination, and creativity.” And that’s what I want to build in the writers of tomorrow, right?! Vigour! Determination! Creativity!

As a TA, I want to encourage people to know and build on their strengths. The self-confidence and success that comes with being good at something also acts as fuel to improve the things that aren’t so good. 

The 5:1 ratio is also noted in research about happy couples, FYI. In an analysis of married couples’ likelihood of getting divorced, the single biggest determinant was the ratio of positive to negative comments, 5:1 being ideal. (Divorced couples showed a ratio of 3 positive comments for every 4 negative comments.) Even though this study is from the ‘90s and done by a dude and is probably super heterosexual and otherwise generally inapplicable to my life, 5:1 still seems like a good ratio to me.

The last reason why filling up the comments with 5 positive for everyone 1 critical remarks works for me is…it helps me see the good in students’ work. At 2 a.m. when I’m shuffling through 300 pages of ABAB. If I have to highlight the use of imagery, enjambment, words choice, metaphor, and originality before I’m allowed to harp on the dang rhyme scheme, I’m way more likely to give helpful comments and a reasonable grade.