Module 1
Think of It This Way
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Incivility
Low-intensity, ambiguous behaviors
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Bullying
Persistent mistreatment + power imbalance
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Immersive Learning
High evaluation + high vulnerability
Psychological Safety
Determines whether concerns surface early
Low-intensity deviant behaviors with ambiguous intent to harm the target, in violation of workplace norms for mutual respect. (Andersson & Pearson, 1999)
Persistent interpersonal aggression and mistreatment from colleagues, characterized by repeated negative acts within a power imbalance. (Alshehry et al., 2019; Petitta & Jiang, 2019; Trad et al., 2014)
A shared belief that the team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking — the confidence that the team will not embarrass, reject, or punish someone for speaking up. (Edmondson, 1999)
Important Note
Psychological safety is not the same as cohesiveness or "being nice." It's about whether people can ask questions, admit uncertainty, and speak up without social penalty.
Incivility
Low-intensity, ambiguous behaviors
Bullying
Persistent mistreatment + power imbalance
Immersive Learning
High evaluation + high vulnerability
Psych Safety
Determines whether concerns surface early
Psychological safety determines whether problems are addressed early — or escalate silently.
Check Your Understanding
A student reports that their supervisor frequently corrects them in front of others and rarely acknowledges improvement.
How would you classify this behavior?
Incivility
Correct
Bullying
Correct
Acceptable Behavior
Correct
Feedback
At this point, this behavior may fall under incivility. The key factor to monitor is pattern and persistence over time, especially in the presence of a power imbalance.