Correction with civility is linked with positive relationship-related outcomes.

Tone matters: uncivil correction has negative consequences.

Correction is more likely to be successful if it comes from a good friend.

Public correction on social media may be uniquely damaging to the poster.

Your spouse mistakenly gives inaccurate directions to the airport where someone is rushing to catch a flight. Your ride share driver boldly misstates the purpose of a drug you prescribe frequently as a physician. Which of these people do you correct—and how?

When necessary and done gracefully, correction is valuable and can strengthen relationships. Yet in addition to time and place, tone matters too. The type of correction that comes under scrutiny most often is the kind that makes others uncomfortable because it is public, embarrassing, or even humiliating. Yet for people who merely want to be helpful, without alienating the person being corrected, where is the line? Research has some helpful tips.

Public Correction: Harmful or Helpful?

Raffael Heiss et al.........

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