The Perils Of Promise And Praise Analysis

“The Perils of Promise and Praise,” written by Carol Dweck was on the subject of how the right and wrong type of praise can affect children and their motivation to learn. Dweck is a psychologist who specifically studies how our mindset affects our behavior. She writes about how some students believe that their intellect is a fixed trait, whereas others believe it is developed over time. She says when kids are focused on improving their intellect, they do not fear how they will look to others. When you praise a child for being smart, they can believe that to be a natural trait that they cannot improve. This way of thinking can lead to the child having a fixed mindset. Intelligence can always be improved. Dweck says when students have a fixed

mindset, they are used to subjects being easy. When things get tough, they often want to give up or get really anxious about the challenge. Many people with a fixed mindset set will choose not to care. When a student has a growth mindset, they show effort in their given tasks. They also show active listening and ask questions. Dweck adds in some studies that show how fifth graders who were praised for intellect were affected versus children who were praised for effort. Students who were praised for intelligence were in a fixed mindset and preferred the easy routes. Students who were praised for effort, showed a growth mindset and enjoyed being challenged. They associated it with trying learn more as opposed to the other students who believed they could not learn and that they were not smart. When the students were challenged with problems, some were not honest or did not show their best efforts, while others improved. She says a better way to praise students is by showing them how they did, where they went right, and how they can improve next time. Another way of encouraging a student is by challenging them when something is coming easy to them. Once the children were taught that they could expand their minds, they were excited. One child quoted in the text says, “You mean I don’t have to be dumb?” (Dweck 11). This was the thought of a child who has believed all this time, that he could not be smart, when all it takes is motivation and practice. In conclusion, Dweck suggests that we can keep students confident by practicing the correct ways of praising their effort rather than their intellect.