How Praising Intelligence Can Lower Motivation and Performance—And What To Do Instead

It feels natural to congratulate a child or colleague with phrases like, 'You’re so smart!' or 'You’re a natural at this.' After all, praise boosts confidence, right? But research repeatedly finds that praising intelligence or talent can actually backfire. People who are told they’re brilliant become afraid of making mistakes, hesitate to try harder tasks, and seek shortcuts to preserve their image.

The better alternative is what’s called process praise. Instead of focusing on traits, recognize the effort, strategies, or actions that led to improvement. This type of feedback shows that ability is flexible, so effort, practice, and experimentation become normal and rewarding. In studies, students praised for effort were more likely to try challenging problems and less likely to become discouraged after failure. Their performance improved over time, while those praised for intelligence grew risk-averse and underperformed.

The difference might feel subtle, but it’s powerful. By shifting your focus from labels to actionable behaviors, you create an environment where learning feels safe, effort is respected, and confidence grows from what you do rather than who you are.

Today, catch yourself when you’re about to praise someone (or yourself) for being 'smart,' 'gifted,' or 'talented,' and switch to pointing out effort, strategy, or curiosity. Ask how they approached the challenge or what they found interesting about the process, signaling that you value growth, not perfection. Whether it’s at home, at work, or with friends, these small changes drive big shifts in confidence and learning—try it at least twice in the coming week.