( ResearchGate ): Explores how people use "courageous behavior" in the workplace to reconcile tensions between who they are and how they want to be seen by others.
( PMC ): A fascinating "spider test" study where researchers measured courage by how close participants with phobias would get to tarantulas, finding that courage scores directly predicted their ability to approach the source of their fear. Courageous
If you are interested in different angles of courage, consider these: ( ResearchGate ): Explores how people use "courageous
: It argues that "success" is an unarticulated part of our mental definition of courage. We rarely call a failed attempt "courageous"; instead, we might view it as reckless or foolish. Other Notable Papers We rarely call a failed attempt "courageous"; instead,
( ResearchGate ): A study on how "courageous followers"—those who speak up against unethical practices or challenge leaders for the good of the organization—are actually the secret to effective leadership.
An interesting academic paper to explore is (2010), published in the Journal of Positive Psychology . Why it’s interesting
: The study found that people overwhelmingly describe courageous acts as having a successful result. When an action ends in failure, people are significantly less likely to label it as "courageous," even if the risk and fear involved were identical.