A Warning Against Praising Effort that leads to Low Expectations
One of the primary recommendations Carol Dweck, Ph.D. makes on fostering a growth mindset is to avoid praising outcomes. As you probably already know, many consider Dweck as the preeminent expert on the growth mindset. So, her recommendations carry weight. However, many well-meaning parents, coaches and teachers interpret her recommendations in a vacuum. As a result, they immediately turn to praising effort as their means for encouraging the growth mindset.
This is a huge mistake. Dweck makes it clear that praising effort over outcome is important, but only when that effort leads to progress. In an interview specifically discussing the perils of praise in the Atlantic, Dweck makes the following suggestion about how to praise effort appropriately:
A lot of parents or teachers say praise the effort, not the outcome. I say [that’s] wrong: Praise the effort that led to the outcome or learning progress; tie the praise to it. It’s not just effort, but strategy … so support the student in finding another strategy. Effective teachers who actually have classrooms full of children with a growth mindset are always supporting children’s learning strategies and showing how strategies created that success.
Students need to know that if they’re stuck, they don’t need just effort. You don’t want them redoubling their efforts with the same ineffective strategies. You want them to know when to ask for help and when to use resources that are available.
All of this is part of the process that needs to be taught and tied to learning.
In addition, Dwek also warns that giving undeserving praise for effort can be counterproductive. For example, if you praise a child’s effort when they didn’t make any progress that child will view that as you having low expectations. This in turn will leave the child thinking that you don’t believe they can do any better.
In short, parents, teachers and coaches must use praise carefully. Don’t praise outcomes too often, but also don’t praise effort unless the effort leads to progress towards the desired outcome.