Process praise to toddlers predicts fourth grade math and reading comprehension achievement via children's incremental motivational frameworks¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · associational r2 · q3
Currency · newest study 2018 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i? Early process praise (ages 1–3) had a significant indirect effect on 4th grade math and reading comprehension achievement through 2nd–3rd grade incremental motivational frameworks, controlling for SES, gender, and prior achievement. → Gunderson 2018 q3 i? The direct relation between process praise and 4th grade math achievement became non-significant when the indirect path via motivational frameworks was accounted for, consistent with full mediation. → Gunderson 2018

Evidence¶

Gunderson 2018¶

Gunderson, E. A., Sorhagen, N. S., Gripshover, S. J., Dweck, C. S., Goldin-Meadow, S., & Levine, S. C. (2018). Parent Praise to Toddlers Predicts Fourth Grade Academic Achievement via Children's Incremental Mindsets. Developmental Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0000444

q3 · i? · associational · r2

Path analysis (FIML, bias-corrected bootstrap with 10,000 draws) of the longitudinal sample of 53 children observed at ages 14, 26, and 38 months. The indirect path was "significant in the mathematics model" and in reading comprehension, holding controls. No standardized effect size printed for the indirect effect.

"we found that the indirect path from early process praise to motivational frameworks in 2nd–3rd grade to academic achievement in 4th grade was significant in the mathematics model (Figure 1a; bias-corrected bootstrap CI95% = .03 to .35) and the reading comprehension model (Figure 1b; bias-corrected bootstrap CI95% = 2.57 to 19.83)"

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Boys received more process praise and scored higher in 4th grade math than girls in this sample — related
• Incremental motivational frameworks in 2nd–3rd grade predict 4th grade math and reading comprehension but not reading decoding — related
• Process praise effects persist after controlling for overall parent talk and SES, suggesting they are not proxies for general engagement — related
• The indirect praise-to-achievement path is driven by trait beliefs, not learning goals — related
• Praise for intelligence, rather than for effort, after success undermines children's motivation and performance after a later failure — a broader claim this one bears on
• Parents' naturalistic process praise at child ages 14-38 months predicts children's incremental motivational frameworks at age 7-8 — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Parents' person praise at 14-38 months was not associated with children's later entity frameworks — related
• Parents' praise styles were stable across child ages 14-38 months, with person praise declining and other praise increasing — related
• Boys received significantly more process praise than girls, despite equal overall praise — related
• Parents' beliefs about failure and reactions to children's failures, not their own mindsets, predict children's mindsets — related