How Not to Talk to Your Kids

The Inverse Power of Praise.

When parents praise their children's intelligence, they believe they are providing the solution to this problem. According to a survey conducted by Columbia University, 85 percent of American parents think it's important to tell their kids that they're smart. In and around the New York area, according to my own (admittedly nonscientific) poll, the number is more like 100 percent. Everyone does it, habitually. The constant praise is meant to be an angel on ... Full Story »

Posted by Kaizar Campwala

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Andy Jamieson
3.4
by Andy Jamieson - Oct. 1, 2008

I agree with Jami. These studies appear to be engineered to affirm a pre-existing conclusion about manipulating children: If we praise their "intelligence", kids will avoid problems they don't find easy. Whereas if we praise their "effort", they'll work at difficult problems. What happened to the control test, where you don't do any manipulation at all? "Well done, Gertrude. You figured out that problem. Knowledge is its own reward, eh Gerti?"

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