Harriet is a fifth grader working on difficult math problems. When she solves one correctly, her teacher tells her that she's correct, and then adds, "You must be very smart to get that answer!" This comment is likely to encourage Harriet to:
A) focus on performance goals.
B) focus on mastery goals.
C) keep working on problems, even if she gets the occasional wrong answer.
D) enjoy doing math for its own sake.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Praising Harriet for being smart when she solves a problem correctly is likely to encourage her to focus on performance goals, as it ties her success to her perceived intelligence rather than the effort or learning process.

Harriet Is a Fifth Grader Working on Difficult Math Problems