We explain what feedback is, its meaning and what positive feedback consists of. Also, what is negative feedback and examples.
What is the feedback?
The term feedback It comes from English and is equivalent to the word feedback. It is usually used as synonym of response, reaction or return wanting to refer to the opinion, evaluation or criticism that an interlocutor offers us in response to a stimulus on our part.
In communication theory, feedback constitutes an important part that guarantees the continuity of the communication process, since it alternates the sender and the receiver, allowing each one to occupy the opposite position. This also applies to other types of communication, such as electronic or computerized.
At the same time, it is known as feedback auditory either effect Larsen to an auditory phenomenon that occurs when there is direct feedback between an audio input (such as a microphone) and an output of the same signal (such as a speaker).
The effect produced has such a frequency that it is perceived by our ears as an annoying and often painful ringing, depending on the volume level used. This is because the sound signal is expanded, emitted, collected, expanded again and so on.
Another use of the term feedback has to do with certain systems control methods, in which the result obtained by a process is reintroduced to the system, either as a way to evaluate the result optimize its behavior or to make modifications.
Positive feedback
In communicative terms, we speak of feedback positive when the interlocutors of a communication (an exhibition, a demonstration, a presentation, etc.) provide a return that contributes to the improvement of the process or even provides possible solutions for its optimization.
On the other hand, in more technical terms (systems), we speak of positive feedback when the feedback of a system makes it grow or evolve towards new states of equilibrium.
Negative feedback
Although what is positive and negative often depends on the point of view, it is usually considered as feedback negative in communication to disapproving comments or sterile criticism, that is, to rejection on the part of the interlocutors towards what was stated.
From a technical point of view, however, the feedback Negative is one that pushes the system towards a specific equilibrium, that is, one that is conservative or that regulates actions, counteracts possible growth. Depending on the occasions, negative feedback can be as much or more desirable than positive feedback.
Examples of feedback
Some possible examples of feedback are:
- In business administration. When a department of the organization presents its performance, its plans for the future or its productivity indices to others, the public can offer positive or negative feedback according to its evaluation of the performance or the plans offered during the presentation.
- In verbal communication. When two people are talking on the phone and there is some type of interference or noise, one of them can ask the other if they hear it, and the other answer yes; then they will have provided feedback in such a way that they can initiate fluid communication.
- On social networks. One of the great virtues of these new 2.0 technologies on the Internet is the possibility that with each action taken by the company (a promotion, a design change, a call, etc.) its users or target audience give their opinion, manifest itself in agree or disagree and offer valuable feedback to the company to know whether or not it is making the right decisions.
