Effects of person versus process praise on student motivation: stability and change in emerging adulthood

Abstract

This study examined the effects of person praise and process praise on college students’ motivation and how these effects change as students progress through their undergraduate years. Hundred and eleven college students worked on three puzzle tasks and received either person praise, process praise, or no praise. Following subsequent failure, students reported on their intrinsic motivation, perceived competence, performance attributions and contingent self-worth. Results indicated that process praise enhances intrinsic motivation and perceived competence more than person praise, and that these effects vary as students advance toward their degree. While person praise decreased motivation for sophomores and juniors, process praise increased motivation for seniors; freshmen reported no significant differences in their motivation. Implications for classroom practice and the need for research that considers developmental differences within college samples are discussed.

Keywords:

• praise
• motivation
• attribution
• emerging adulthood
• college students

Notes

^†Person versus process was significant at the p < .10 level.