The type of praise you give children, it turns out, can be counter-productive.

Executive summary: Kids told they are “smart” rather than “putting forth a good effort” tend to be risk-averse, preferring to defend their smart status rather than work on new challenges. Scientist think its due to the feeling of control (versus innate ability) that the praise engenders. It’s related to the delayed gratification circuit in the orbital and medial prefrontal cortex of the brain, a circuit reinforced by intermittent gratification. The praise must be specific and meaningful, though: vacuous plaudits are suspect in children’s eyes past the age of seven.

(Thanks to All too aware)