Stupid, lazy, inconsiderate…we know labels like this can be hurtful and demoralizing, but can positive labels like “smart” be bad too? In a recent article in Newsweek, researchers told preteens who took a test that they did really well on the test either because they were “smart” or because they “worked very hard.” Both good, right? Next, the same kids were given a much harder test. After doing much worse, the kids who were told they were smart the first time around took the failure as a blow to their self esteem and were ashamed at how they performed. Those who were told they worked hard were more willing to try harder after this setback.

Why did this happen? It’s likely that the “smart” kids thought, if I do well on a test this means I’m “smart,” so if I do poorly on a test this means I’m “stupid.” In attribution terms, being “stupid” means attributing this failure to something that is internal (caused by you), stable (permanent), and global (impacts many things) – this is exactly the kind of explanation that leads to poor academic performance (Peterson & Barrett, 1987). If you fail at something because you’re “stupid,” it not something you can easily change about yourself. It’s not easy to just increase your IQ, so you may be more discouraged and just give up. On the other hand, if you fail on a test because you “didn’t work very hard,” this is something that is controllable and that you can change if you just try harder the next time.

So, if telling a kid they are smart leads to bad outcomes, is that point that we should stop with the compliments? Not really. While internal, stable, and global attributions are bad for negative events, like failing a test, they can be good for positive events. Positive, internal explanations can be important in building self esteem and confidence. Instead, the point may be for kids to know they have control over an outcome. If they believe they can do something, like perform well on the next exam, they are more likely to do it (see literature on self-efficacy). So whether children fail or succeed, give them the confidence that they can change their outcomes and achieve their goals. And, as a side note, it’s not just children’s beliefs that are important but parent’s beliefs as well. Remembering the classic experiments from Jane Elliott, how you think about and treat other people can make them behave that way. So, if you believe your kid is smart and treat him or her that way, they will more likely behave that way too.

Further Reading:

Peterson, C., & Barrett, L. C. (1987). Explanatory style and academic performance among university freshman. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 53, 603-607.