Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us pdfdrive com

OFFER PRAISE . . . THE RIGHT WAY

Done right, praise is an important way to give kids feedback and encouragement. But done wrong, praise can become yet another “if-then” reward that can squash creativity and stifle intrinsic motivation.

The powerful work of psychologist Carol Dweck, as well as others in the field, offers a how-to list for offering praise in a way that promotes Type I behavior:

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  Praise effort and strategy, not intelligence. As Dweck’s research has shown, children who are praised for “being smart” often believe that every encounter is a test of whether they really are. So to avoid looking dumb, they resist new challenges and choose the easiest path. By contrast, kids who understand that effort and hard work lead to mastery and growth are more willing to take on new, difficult tasks.
  
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  Make praise specific. Parents and teachers should give kids useful information about their performance. Instead of bathing them in generalities, tell them specifically what they’ve done that’s noteworthy.
  
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  Praise in private. Praise is feedback—not an award ceremony. That’s why it’s often best to offer it one-on-one, in private.
  
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  Offer praise only when there’s a good reason for it. Don’t kid a kid. He can see through fake praise in a nanosecond. Be sincere—or keep quiet. If you overpraise, kids regard it as dishonest and unearned. Plus, overpraising becomes another “if-then” reward that makes earning praise, rather than moving toward mastery, the objective.