Middle Childhood (5-11 years)

Growth mindset, performance avoidance, and academic behaviors in Clark County School District

Gender stereotypes about intellectual ability emerge early and influence children’s interests

Gender stereotypes about intellectual ability emerge early and influence children’s interests

Motivation beyond the lab: The effect of motivation interventions in school settings

Promise and paradox: Measuring students’ non-cognitive skills and the impact of schooling

Who is good at this game? Linking an activity to a social category undermines children’s achievement

The Impact of Generic Language About Ability on Children’s Achievement Motivation

Praise for intelligence can undermine children’s motivation and performance

Researchers gave 128 fifth graders a set of math problems. All were told they did well, but some were told they did well because they “must be smart,” while others were told they “must have worked hard.” Still others were not praised at all. To inject a psychological hurdle and test for perseverance, the students were then given a second test and told they’d performed poorly. They were then asked whether they wanted to try again. The children initially praised for intelligence were significantly less interested in persisting than the others.