# Praising Intelligence Backfires With Young Children, Study Finds
Telling a 5-year-old they are "smart" sets them up to cheat rather than persevere through difficulty, according to new research that challenges a decades-old parenting and teaching philosophy.
Researchers conducting the study observed that children who received intelligence-based praise were significantly more likely to cheat on a subsequent task compared to peers who received no praise or alternative forms of encouragement. The finding contradicts the widespread belief that labeling children as "smart" builds confidence and motivation.
The mechanism works like this. When young children internalize the idea that smartness is a fixed trait they already possess, they become motivated to protect that image. Faced with a challenging task, cheating appears as a rational strategy to maintain the appearance of intelligence rather than risk failure and damage to their self-concept.
This research builds on decades of work by psychologist Carol Dweck and her colleagues on "mindset," which distinguishes between a fixed mindset (the belief that abilities are unchangeable) and a growth mindset (the belief that abilities develop through effort). Dweck's research has shown that praising effort and strategy rather than innate ability leads to greater resilience and academic persistence.
The current study extends those findings to preschool-aged children and demonstrates that the risks of intelligence-based praise emerge earlier and more powerfully than previously understood. At ages when children are still forming fundamental beliefs about learning and effort, the language adults use shapes not just motivation but moral behavior.
The implications reach across homes, classrooms, and childcare settings. Teachers and parents accustomed to offering quick reassurance through statements like "You're so smart" face a choice about shifting their language. Growth-oriented alternatives include recognizing specific strategies ("You worked through that problem step by step"), effort ("You kept trying even when it was hard"), or progress ("You can do more of this now than you could before").
This is not an argument against confidence-building. Children benefit from recognition and encouragement. The evidence simply suggests that the source and framing of that encouragement matters. Adults who want to build both capability and integrity should focus praise on controllable factors like persistence, strategy, collaboration, and improvement rather than on fixed characteristics.
For educators implementing this shift, the research suggests rethinking the feedback loops embedded in classroom culture. Standardized testing, rigid grading systems, and competition-focused reward structures all reinforce the fixed mindset that this research warns against. Schools that have moved toward standards-based grading, mastery-based progression, and portfolio assessment create environments where effort and growth become the currency of success rather than maintaining an image of innate ability.
The message reaches beyond academics. Children who believe abilities develop through effort tend to exhibit greater academic honesty and stronger relationships with peers because they're not defending a fixed self-image. They engage in learning rather than performing.
Parents and educators who absorb this research typically report that reframing praise requires conscious attention but becomes more natural with practice. The payoff appears substantial. Children who receive effort-based and strategy-based feedback develop more resilience, greater willingness to tackle challenge, and stronger ethical decision-making when faced with pressure.