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Praise addiction in children
Eddie Brummelman1, Stathis Grapsas2, Reinout W Wiers3
1Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam.
Developmental Psychology
|May 1, 2025
Summary
Praise addiction in children involves excessive reliance on external validation. This study shows it differs from narcissism and is linked to lower self-esteem and specific parenting styles.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Praise seeking is normal for children, but some may develop an addiction characterized by constant seeking and distress when praise is absent.
- While theorized to be linked to narcissism, empirical research on praise addiction in children is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the phenotype, socialization, and manifestations of praise addiction in a nonclinical sample of children.
- To differentiate praise addiction from narcissism.
- To validate that children with high praise addiction may vigorously pursue praise.
Main Methods:
- A multi-informant survey and experimental study involving 221 children (ages 7-13) and their parents.
- Development of a parent-report measure for praise addiction based on substance use disorder criteria.
- Measurement of children's praise cravings and adaptation of a drug self-administration paradigm to assess praise-seeking efforts.
Main Results:
- Children higher in praise addiction exhibited lower self-esteem, heightened reward sensitivity, and experienced higher parental overvaluation with lower parental warmth.
- These children exerted greater effort to obtain praise, even when the required effort increased.
- Children higher in narcissism showed elevated praise cravings but not lower self-esteem or increased effort in the adapted paradigm, highlighting distinct characteristics.
Conclusions:
- Praise addiction is a distinct phenomenon from narcissism in children.
- Individual differences in praise addiction exist, with specific links to self-esteem, reward sensitivity, and parenting factors.
- Children with high praise addiction demonstrate a vigorous pursuit of praise, differentiating them from narcissistic traits.
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