## SUMMARY Carol D and colleagues studied the impact of praise on children's development, revealing significant differences between praising intelligence and effort.

IDEAS:

  • Carol D’s study involved over 400 fifth-grade students from across the nation.
  • Children were given a simple nonverbal IQ test with 10 questions.
  • Two groups were formed: one praised for intelligence, the other for effort.
  • Praising intelligence led 67% of children to choose an easier subsequent test.
  • Praising effort led 92% of children to choose a harder subsequent test.
  • Praising intelligence can lead to a fixed mindset, limiting growth.
  • Praising effort encourages a growth mindset, promoting learning and resilience.
  • Children praised for effort worked harder and enjoyed difficult tasks more.
  • Children praised for intelligence got frustrated and gave up more easily.
  • Final test results showed a 50% performance difference between the two groups.
  • Intelligence-praised group’s scores dropped by 20% on the final test.
  • Effort-praised group’s scores increased by nearly 30% on the final test.
  • Subtle differences in praise can significantly impact a child’s development.
  • Teachers, coaches, and parents should focus on praising effort over intelligence.
  • Growth mindset positively impacts development in various life areas.
  • Praising strategies and hard work fosters long-term growth and resilience.
  • Fixed mindset leads to playing it safe and avoiding challenges.
  • Growth mindset encourages taking on hard tasks and intense practice.
  • Mistakes are seen as opportunities for growth in a growth mindset.
  • Research shows growth mindset has a big impact on child development.

INSIGHTS

  • Subtle differences in praise can significantly impact children’s development and mindset.
  • Praising effort encourages children to embrace challenges and develop resilience.
  • Fixed mindsets limit growth by making children avoid risks and challenges.
  • Growth mindsets foster long-term development by valuing effort and learning.
  • Children praised for effort enjoy difficult tasks more than those praised for intelligence.
  • Intelligence-praised children tend to give up more easily when faced with challenges.
  • Effort-praised children show significant improvement in performance over time.
  • Teachers and parents should focus on praising the process, not innate abilities.
  • Growth mindset positively affects performance in academics, sports, and life.
  • Mistakes are viewed as learning opportunities in a growth mindset.

QUOTES:

  • “Wow great job you must be really smart at this.”
  • “Wow great job you must have worked really really hard at this.”
  • “67% of them chose the easier option while 92% of the kids who were praised for their effort chose the harder test.”
  • “They enter a fixed mindset, they play it safe in the future and they limit their growth.”
  • “It’s about the process of growth.”
  • “If I don’t take on hard things and stick to them, I’m not going to grow.”
  • “The group that was praised for effort worked hard harder longer and actually enjoyed this test more.”
  • “The group that was praised for their intelligence actually did worse on this test than the first one.”
  • “Their average score actually dropped by 20% while the group that was praised for their effort did significantly better raising their average score by nearly 30%.”
  • “This study shows how praise can either make or break a child’s development.”
  • “We need to be very careful about praising someone’s intelligence or abilities and focus more on the process and the effort that they put forth.”
  • “Having a growth mindset has a big time impact on the development of a child whether on the court in the classroom or just in life.”

HABITS

  • Focus on praising children’s effort rather than their intelligence.
  • Encourage children to take on challenging tasks to promote growth.
  • Emphasize the importance of hard work and perseverance in learning.
  • View mistakes as opportunities for growth and learning.
  • Foster a growth mindset by valuing the process over innate abilities.

FACTS

  • Over 400 fifth-grade students participated in Carol D’s study on praise.
  • Praising intelligence led 67% of children to choose an easier subsequent test.
  • Praising effort led 92% of children to choose a harder subsequent test.
  • Intelligence-praised children’s scores dropped by 20% on a final test.
  • Effort-praised children’s scores increased by nearly 30% on a final test.

ONE-SENTENCE TAKEAWAY

Praising children’s efforts over intelligence fosters a growth mindset, significantly enhancing their resilience and long-term development.

RECOMMENDATIONS

  • Praise children’s effort rather than their intelligence to foster growth mindsets.
  • Encourage children to embrace challenges as opportunities for learning and growth.
  • Focus on the process of learning rather than innate abilities or talents.
  • View mistakes as valuable opportunities for improvement and development.
  • Promote resilience by emphasizing hard work and perseverance in all tasks.