Praise Addiction in Children
Saved in:
| Title: | Praise Addiction in Children |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Eddie Brummelman (ORCID |
| Source: | Developmental Psychology. 2026 62(3):597-610. |
| Availability: | American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 14 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research Tests/Questionnaires |
| Descriptors: | Foreign Countries, Positive Reinforcement, Addictive Behavior, Children, Early Adolescents, Parenting Styles, Psychological Patterns, Child Behavior, Individual Differences, Self Esteem, Rewards, Affective Behavior, Parent Child Relationship |
| Geographic Terms: | Netherlands |
| DOI: | 10.1037/dev0001974 |
| ISSN: | 0012-1649 1939-0599 |
| Abstract: | Although it is normative for children to desire praise, some might show addiction to praise. We define praise addiction as a strong reliance on praise: a constant seeking of praise, prioritization of praise-seeking, and distress when praise is not received. Some scholars argue that praise addiction is central to narcissism. Despite extensive theorizing, empirical research on praise addiction is lacking. With this multi-informant survey and experimental study, we investigated the phenotype, socialization, and manifestations of praise addiction in a nonclinical sample of children (N = 221, ages 7-13, 91% Dutch, and one of their parents, 89% Dutch). We developed a parent-report measure of praise addiction as a continuous trait, based on substance use disorder criteria. We measured children's subjective praise cravings and adapted a classic drug self-administration paradigm to capture children's efforts to obtain praise. While average praise addiction levels were low, there were meaningful individual differences. Children higher in praise addiction had lower self-esteem, were more sensitive to reward, and experienced higher parental overvaluation and lower parental warmth. Also, they exerted greater effort to obtain praise, even though the effort required to obtain it increased. By contrast, children higher in narcissism did not have lower self-esteem, were not more sensitive to reward, and experienced higher parental overvaluation without lower parental warmth. They did not exert greater effort to obtain praise but did experience elevated praise cravings. This study uncovers the nature of praise addiction, demonstrates its separateness from narcissism, and validates that children high in praise addiction may pursue praise vigorously. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Notes: | https://osf.io/6zefg |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1503353 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| FullText | Text: Availability: 0 |
|---|---|
| Header | DbId: eric DbLabel: ERIC An: EJ1503353 AccessLevel: 3 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
| IllustrationInfo | |
| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Praise Addiction in Children – Name: Language Label: Language Group: Lang Data: English – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Eddie+Brummelman%22">Eddie Brummelman</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7695-5135">0000-0001-7695-5135</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Stathis+Grapsas%22">Stathis Grapsas</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3837-9701">0000-0002-3837-9701</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Reinout+W%2E+Wiers%22">Reinout W. Wiers</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4312-9766">0000-0002-4312-9766</externalLink>) – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Developmental+Psychology%22"><i>Developmental Psychology</i></searchLink>. 2026 62(3):597-610. – Name: Avail Label: Availability Group: Avail Data: American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org – Name: PeerReviewed Label: Peer Reviewed Group: SrcInfo Data: Y – Name: Pages Label: Page Count Group: Src Data: 14 – Name: DatePubCY Label: Publication Date Group: Date Data: 2026 – Name: TypeDocument Label: Document Type Group: TypDoc Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research<br />Tests/Questionnaires – Name: Subject Label: Descriptors Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Positive+Reinforcement%22">Positive Reinforcement</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Addictive+Behavior%22">Addictive Behavior</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Children%22">Children</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Early+Adolescents%22">Early Adolescents</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Parenting+Styles%22">Parenting Styles</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psychological+Patterns%22">Psychological Patterns</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Child+Behavior%22">Child Behavior</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Individual+Differences%22">Individual Differences</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Self+Esteem%22">Self Esteem</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Rewards%22">Rewards</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Affective+Behavior%22">Affective Behavior</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Parent+Child+Relationship%22">Parent Child Relationship</searchLink> – Name: Subject Label: Geographic Terms Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Netherlands%22">Netherlands</searchLink> – Name: DOI Label: DOI Group: ID Data: 10.1037/dev0001974 – Name: ISSN Label: ISSN Group: ISSN Data: 0012-1649<br />1939-0599 – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: Although it is normative for children to desire praise, some might show addiction to praise. We define praise addiction as a strong reliance on praise: a constant seeking of praise, prioritization of praise-seeking, and distress when praise is not received. Some scholars argue that praise addiction is central to narcissism. Despite extensive theorizing, empirical research on praise addiction is lacking. With this multi-informant survey and experimental study, we investigated the phenotype, socialization, and manifestations of praise addiction in a nonclinical sample of children (N = 221, ages 7-13, 91% Dutch, and one of their parents, 89% Dutch). We developed a parent-report measure of praise addiction as a continuous trait, based on substance use disorder criteria. We measured children's subjective praise cravings and adapted a classic drug self-administration paradigm to capture children's efforts to obtain praise. While average praise addiction levels were low, there were meaningful individual differences. Children higher in praise addiction had lower self-esteem, were more sensitive to reward, and experienced higher parental overvaluation and lower parental warmth. Also, they exerted greater effort to obtain praise, even though the effort required to obtain it increased. By contrast, children higher in narcissism did not have lower self-esteem, were not more sensitive to reward, and experienced higher parental overvaluation without lower parental warmth. They did not exert greater effort to obtain praise but did experience elevated praise cravings. This study uncovers the nature of praise addiction, demonstrates its separateness from narcissism, and validates that children high in praise addiction may pursue praise vigorously. – Name: AbstractInfo Label: Abstractor Group: Ab Data: As Provided – Name: Note Label: Notes Group: Note Data: https://osf.io/6zefg – Name: DateEntry Label: Entry Date Group: Date Data: 2026 – Name: AN Label: Accession Number Group: ID Data: EJ1503353 |
| PLink | https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1503353 |
| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.1037/dev0001974 Languages: – Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 14 StartPage: 597 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries Type: general – SubjectFull: Positive Reinforcement Type: general – SubjectFull: Addictive Behavior Type: general – SubjectFull: Children Type: general – SubjectFull: Early Adolescents Type: general – SubjectFull: Parenting Styles Type: general – SubjectFull: Psychological Patterns Type: general – SubjectFull: Child Behavior Type: general – SubjectFull: Individual Differences Type: general – SubjectFull: Self Esteem Type: general – SubjectFull: Rewards Type: general – SubjectFull: Affective Behavior Type: general – SubjectFull: Parent Child Relationship Type: general – SubjectFull: Netherlands Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Praise Addiction in Children Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Eddie Brummelman – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Stathis Grapsas – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Reinout W. Wiers IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 03 Type: published Y: 2026 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 0012-1649 – Type: issn-electronic Value: 1939-0599 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 62 – Type: issue Value: 3 Titles: – TitleFull: Developmental Psychology Type: main |
| ResultId | 1 |
