Photo: flickr
Researchers from Michigan State University suggest that the best way for a child to learn from past mistakes is to pay more attention to them. Parents and teachers are encouraged to help kids understand that mistakes serve as opportunities for improvements and are not a source of scolding and punishment.
The study had 123 children as participants and looked at brain responses to errors. Researchers discovered that those who are able to bounce back from mistakes are the ones that pay attention to the errors they made. Many participants, however, try to focus on something else. By not acknowledging the mistake, they don't acknowledge that they have done something incorrectly. This serves as a natural defense mechanism, but leads to an inflexible response and smaller chances of improvement.
So, the next time a child makes a mistake, address it and reassure that it does not mean absolute failure!
Source material from Science Daily