Effort Self-Talk Benefits the Mathematics Performance of Children With Negative Competence Beliefs

Overview

Journal Child Dev

Specialty Pediatrics

Date 2019 Dec 18

PMID 31845326

Authors

Sander Thomaes

Iris Charlotte Tjaarda

Eddie Brummelman

Constantine Sedikides

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Children with negative competence beliefs often achieve below their potential in school. This randomized field experiment tested whether engaging in positive self-talk may benefit these children's mathematics performance. Participants (N = 212, Grades 4-6, M = 10.6) worked on the first half of a standardized mathematics test, engaged in effort self-talk ("I will do my very best!"), ability self-talk ("I am very good at this!"), or no self-talk, and worked on the second half of the test. Compared to both the conditions, effort self-talk benefited the performance of children holding negative competence beliefs: It severed the association between negative competence beliefs and poor performance. By internally asserting that they will deliver effort, children with negative competence beliefs can optimize their achievement in school.

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