Wake-up call to parents who praise too much
Some psychologists and authors are backtracking on their earlier directives to praise, praise, praise. They say overpraising creates overinflated egos, not positive self-esteem. It also overly protects children from experiencing conflict and failure. It’s something to think about as another school year begins.
Among those making a U-turn is Florida State University psychology professor Roy Baumeister, who for 30 years attempted to document the value of positive self-esteem, only to experience “one of the biggest disappointments of my career.”
Dr. John Grohol is the CEO and founder of Psych Central. He is an author, researcher and expert in mental health online, and has been writing about online behavior, mental health and psychology issues -- as well as the intersection of technology and human behavior -- since 1992. Dr. Grohol sits on the editorial board of the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking and is a founding board member and treasurer of the Society for Participatory Medicine.Like this author?
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Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 7 Sep 2005
Published on PsychCentral.com. All rights reserved.
Grohol, J. (2005). Wake-up call to parents who praise too much. Psych Central. Retrieved on May 25, 2012, from http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2005/09/07/wake-up-call-to-parents-who-praise-too-much/
