L14 - The Complex Motivational Effects of Praise Flashcards
What are some common functions?
create bond
motivate
protect
manipulate
What are some important issues?
determining the motivational impact of praise is a complex question which depends on how the praise is interpreted
- type of relationship
- type of praise
- age, gender, cultural background
- public nature
Describe Brophy’s classical article on praise from 1981
praise = to commend the worth of someone’s behaviour or to express approval or admiration
common assumption: praise - verbal reinforcement
But, praise will act as reinforcement only if it is:
- contingent
- specific
- credible (i.e., sincere, varied, and believable)
If teacher praise is not part of a systematic reinforcement effort, what function does it serve?
- Positive guidance
- Transition ritual
- Balance for criticism
- Icebreaker or peace offering
- Consolation prize or as encouragement
- Vindication of predictions
- Attempted vicarious reinforcement
- Student-elicited stroking
- Spontaneous expression of surprise or admiration
What was Brophy’s conclusion?
“Students do not actually need praise to master the curriculum, to acquire acceptable role behaviours or to even develop healthy self-concepts”
teacher prasie is a weak reinforcer, especially after age 8, when kids get out of the adult-pleasing mode
Brophy’s recommendation:
- He suggests that praise should be genuine and tied to specific actions or behaviors rather than being overly general
– This kind of specific praise reinforces the desired behavior and helps students understand exactly what they did well
- Advises that praise should be used strategically to encourage effort, persistence, and improvement rather than just focusing on innate ability
– This approach can help foster a growth mindset in students, where they believe that their abilities can be developed through effort and practice
Overall, Brophy’s recommendations on praise aim to create a positive and supportive learning environment where students feel valued and motivated to succeed
What were the teachers’ responses to Brophy’s recommendation?
“but don’t children need to recieve feedback on their performance in order to learn?”
“but isn’t it important to create a warm classroom environment?”
“but isn’t it important to encourage children so that they feel optimistic and confident?”
Describe Deci et al. and Henderlong & Lepper’s reviews of lab studies (1999, 2002).
distinguish from:
- performance feedback
- warmth/encouragement
key issues
- competence and control
- theories of ability
- short-term/long-term effects
- intrinsic/extrinsic motivation
Describe Dwecks study on how parent praise to toddlers predicts fourth grade academic achievement via children’s incremental mindsets (2018)
parent praise sampled in 90-minute naturalistic observations in child’s home at ages 14, 26 and 38 months
process praise: emphasizing children’s effort (e.g., “good job trying to put that back”), strategies (e.g., “I like it when you do it all different colours”), or specific actions (e.g., “great catch”)
person praise: indicates that the child had a fixed, positive quality, for example “Good girl” and “let’s show her how smart you are”
measure mother’s own beliefs about malleability
How to give corrective feedback?
“Joelle Carpentier on coaches” - change-oriented feedback
an empathy sandwich instead of a praise sandwich
indicates behaviours that need to be modified so that athlete can achieve their goals
- show empathy with the challenge
- choice of solutions to correct problems
- free from person-related statements
- given in a considerate tone of voice
- end with empathy about the difficulty of changing ingrained habits
Describe the prof’s two examples of praise
- Richard and 5th grade basketball coach
- Richard called before his 8th grade class
