Why the Wrong Kind of Praise Could Heighten a Student's Fear of Failure

When I praise the family dog for doing a good thing, I'm not sure if it matters what words I say to him. He seems equally excited and happily wags his tail whether I say "good boy!" or "bad doggie!" as long as I use the same tone of voice. Of course, people are different, and the words we use do matter in the feedback we offer. So if we're trying to build up a student's confidence, and embolden them to take on new challenges, what kind of praise works best? A 2014 study suggests that not ...