Praise

For other uses, see Praise (disambiguation).

Praise as a form of social interaction expresses recognition, reassurance or admiration.

Praise is expressed verbally as well as by body language (facial expression and gestures).

Verbal praise consists of a positive evaluations of another's attributes or actions, where the evaluator presumes the validity of the standards on which the evaluation is based.[clarification needed][1]

As a form of social manipulation, praise becomes a form of reward and furthers behavioral reinforcement by conditioning. The influence of praise on an individual can depend on many factors, including the context, the meanings the praise may convey, and the characteristics and interpretations of the recipient.[2] While praise may share some predictive relationships (both positive and negative) with tangible (material) rewards, praise tends to be less salient and expected, conveys more information about competence, and is typically given more immediately after the desired behavior.[3]

Praise is distinct from acknowledgement or feedback (more neutral forms of recognition) and from encouragement (expressedly future-oriented).[2]

Praise is given across social hierarchy, and both within the ingroup and towards an outgroup; it is an important aspect in the regulation of social hierarchy and the maintenance of group cohesion, influencing the potential for political action and social upheaval. When given by a dominant individual it takes the form of recognition and reassurance; when given by a submissive to a dominant individual it takes the form of deference, admiration or exultation,[4] or deification. Praise of gods may form part of religious rites and practices (see for example prayer of praise and praise and worship).

  1. ^ Kanouse, D. E.; Gumpert, P.; Canavan-Gumpert, D. (1981). "The semantics of praise". New Directions in Attribution Research. 3: 97–115.
  2. ^ a b Henderlong, Jennifer; Lepper, Mark R. (2002). "The effects of praise on children's intrinsic motivation: A review and synthesis". Psychological Bulletin. 128 (5): 774–795. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.128.5.774. PMID 12206194. S2CID 9601124.
  3. ^ Carton, John (19 June 1989). "The differential effects of tangible rewards and praise on intrinsic motivation: A comparison of cognitive evaluation theory and operant theory". Behavior Analyst. 19 (2): 237–255. doi:10.1007/BF03393167. PMC 2733619. PMID 22478261.
  4. ^ Sweetman, Joseph; Spears, Russell; Livingstone, Andrew G.; Manstead, Antony S.R. (2013). "Admiration regulates social hierarchy: Antecedents, dispositions, and effects on intergroup behavior". Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. 49 (3). Elsevier BV: 534–542. doi:10.1016/j.jesp.2012.10.007. ISSN 0022-1031. PMC 3657193. PMID 23690651. We demonstrate that manipulating the legitimacy of status relations affects admiration for the dominant and that this emotion negatively predicts political action tendencies aimed at social change. In addition, we show that greater warmth and competence lead to greater admiration for an outgroup, which in turn positively predicts deferential behavior and intergroup learning. We also demonstrate that, for those with a disposition to feel admiration, increasing admiration for an outgroup decreases willingness to take political action against that outgroup. Finally, we show that when the object of admiration is a subversive 'martyr,' admiration positively predicts political action tendencies and behavior aimed at challenging the status quo. These findings provide the first evidence for the important role of admiration in regulating social hierarchy.