ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we outline principles from attribution theory that describe how praise can function as a causal cue about ability or effort. Because effort and ability are often perceived as compensatory, praise for high effort can sometimes be a cue to low ability. If two students achieve the same outcome, often the one who tries harder (and is praised) is perceived as lower in ability by observers and oneself. Hence, there may be unintended consequences of this type of positive evaluative feedback. Developmental research on teacher praise and its attributional consequences is reviewed. This research is discussed in the context of other teacher behaviors like the offering or withholding of help that also may convey attributional information. Attribution principles can therefore facilitate our understanding of how some well-intentioned teacher behaviors can have unexpected or even negative effects on students. Applications of these principles to contemporary research on evaluative feedback to ethnic minority populations are discussed.
