“Good job, you’re so smart”: The effects of inconsistency of praise type on young children’s motivation |
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Authors: | Shannon R Zentall Bradley J Morris |
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Institution: | Department of Psychology, Grand Valley State University, Allendale, MI 49401, USA |
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Abstract: | Previous research has demonstrated that generic praise (“good drawer”) is related to children giving up after failure because failure implies the lack of a critical trait (e.g., drawing ability). Conversely, nongeneric praise (“good job drawing”) is related to mastery motivation because it implies that success is related to effort. Yet children may receive a mixture of these praise types (i.e., inconsistent praise), the effects of which are unclear. We tested how inconsistent praise influenced two components of motivation: self-evaluation and persistence. Kindergarteners (N = 135) were randomly assigned to one of five conditions in which consistency of praise type was varied. After two failure scenarios, children reported self-evaluations and persistence. Results indicated that more nongeneric praise related linearly to greater motivation, yet self-evaluation and persistence were impacted differently by inconsistent praise types. Hearing even a small amount of generic praise reduced persistence, whereas hearing a small amount of nongeneric praise preserved self-evaluation. |
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Keywords: | Motivation Helplessness Praise Persistence Self-evaluation Generic language |
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