Parents who constantly tell a child “you’re so smart” may be building a surprisingly fragile kind of confidence. Research has found that praising intelligence rather than the process — effort, strategy and persistence — can encourage children to see ability as fixed, making them more likely to avoid

Key takeaways

• Praising fixed traits can hinder growth.
• Focus on effort and strategy builds robust confidence.
• Avoidance of challenges stems from fixed ability beliefs.
• Process-oriented feedback promotes learning and resilience.

Why it matters

This finding is relevant for AI users by highlighting how feedback shapes our perception of capability. Focusing on the process of using AI tools, like the strategies employed or the effort in prompt refinement, fosters resilience and continuous learning.