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“You're so smart£¡” This encouraging response to children's math performance is commonly heard. Recently, a new study, conducted by the University of  Georgia, found that encouraging children with responses related to their personal characteristics or inborn abilities might weaken their math motivation and achievement over time.

Parents who make comments linking their children's performance to personal characteristics like intelligence are using what's referred to as person responses. In contrast, parents who link their children's actions, such as efforts or strategy use, to their performance are using process responses.

For the study, researchers asked more than 500 parents to report on how they responded to their children's math performance and their math beliefs and goals. Children were assessed in two waves across a year to measure their math motivation and achievement.

The results show that parents who view math ability as changeable are more likely to give process responses focused on their children's strategy use and efforts rather than their intelligence or other personal characteristics. In contrast, parents who believe math ability is unchangeable and that math failure can't be constructive give more person responses. Parents with high expectations for their children give a combination of both responses. While responses highlighting strategy and efforts are not related to any achievement outcomes, children who receive more responses about their personal characteristics—in particular, related to failure—are more likely to avoid harder math problems, exhibit higher levels of math anxiety, and score lower on math achievement tests.

Because person responses predict poor math adjustment in children over time, researchers suggest parents limit this type of responses at home. Another recommendation for parents is to think about their own beliefs and goals for their kids and examine how these might lead them to respond in person or process ways. Simply telling parents to avoid talking about math ability may not be enough. Focusing less on how children perform and more on their strategy and enjoyment of math might be a more effective way to enhance motivation.

1£®Which of the following is an example of process responses?

A£®You are a lucky dog.

B£®Running is in your blood.

C£®What works well for your study?

D£®Why are you such a math genius?

2£®What can be inferred from the study results?

A£®Parents prefer to give more process responses.

B.Children are more likely to be affected by math anxiety.

C£®Process responses help with children's math achievement.

D£®Person responses can discourage children from learning math.

3£®What do researchers advise parents to do?

A£®Restrict person responses.

B£®Defend their own beliefs.

C£®Stress children's performance.

D£®Ignore children's math problems.

4£®Which can be a suitable title for the text?

A£®The Strategy Children Adopt to Learn Math Helps

B£®The Way Parents Talk to Children on Math Matters

C.Responses to Enhance Children's Math Performance

D.Suggestions for Parents to Teach Their Children Math