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Can Praise Be Too Much of a Good Thing?
--When parents praise their children’s intelligence, they believe they are ensuring that children do not sell their talents short. But a growing
body of research -- and a new study from the trenches of the New Yorkpublic-school system -- strongly suggests it might be the other way around.

Giving kids the label of "smart" does not prevent them from
underperforming. It might actually be causing it, writes Po Bronson in
New York magazine. After reviewing more than 200 studies, Dr. Roy
Baumeister concluded that having high self-esteem didn't improve grades
or career achievement. It didn't even reduce alcohol usage. And it especially did not lower violence of any sort.

 (Highly aggressive,violent people happen to think very highly of themselves, debunking thetheory that people are aggressive to make up for low self-esteem.)


Baumeister has come to believe the continued appeal of self-esteem is
largely tied to parents’ pride in their children’s achievements: It’s so
strong that "when they praise their kids, it’s not that far from
praising themselves."

By and large, the literature on praise shows that
it can be effective -- a positive, motivating force. However, the
effects of praise can vary significantly depending on the praise given.
To be effective, researchers have found, praise needs to be specific and sincere.
http://nymag.com/news/features/27840/

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