Participants learn significantly less from failure than success, with those experiencing failure retaining only 59% of information compared to 80% among those who succeed, according to a recent study.

The study examines the psychological barriers that hinder learning from failure across various life domains, including academic, professional, and personal settings. The researchers highlight two main types of barriers: emotional and cognitive, both of which contribute to the difficulty in using failure as a tool for improvement.

Published in Motivation Science, emotional barriers stem from failure's threat to self-worth, which can result in avoidance behaviors or disengagement from challenging goals. Participants who failed a task demonstrated lower retention compared to those who succeeded, with accuracy rates of 59% versus 80%, respectively. The study found that negative emotions associated with failure, such as humiliation and shame, may reduce motivation in participants who internalize blame.

Cognitive barriers, on the other hand, involve the perception that failure is uninformative. This belief limits participants' ability to recognize the value of learning from mistakes. In one experiment, approximately one-third of participants preferred to examine moderate success rather than studying instances of failure.

The researchers describe potential interventions, including reframing failure and encouraging open discussions about mistakes. Reframing failure as indicative of insufficient progress rather than a lack of commitment may encourage participants to persist in their efforts. Additionally, fostering a culture that normalizes discussing mistakes could help participants process and learn from failure more effectively. 

Full disclosures can be found in the published study.