“You have to keep practicing that piano or you will never play in Carnegie Hall,” the child learns that the reason for playing is to get future recognition and success, not the present enjoyment of music. Unfortunately, indiscriminate praise is often advised as a parental technique that will raise children’s self-esteem (e.g., McKay and Fanning 1988), as if a self-esteem based on spurious praise was worth having. See also Damon (1995, chapter 4) for a similar argument. But feedback—including praise—that is directed at concrete details of the performance can be very useful; see Dweck’s (1986)
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