According to the guidance on praise and criticism, when should praise be given?

• A. Praise should be provided when warranted, but it can have only limited value if not clearly deserved.
• B. Praise should be provided always, regardless of merit.
• C. Criticism should be avoided even if warranted.
• D. Praise should be used only after formal evaluation.

Answer: (A)

Praise works best as timely, specific recognition of genuine merit. The guidance says you should give praise when it is warranted, because it reinforces the exact behavior or outcome you want to encourage and supports motivation. When praise is used inconsistently or for things that aren’t clearly deserved, it loses impact, can feel insincere, and may undermine trust or create entitlement. So the strongest approach is to reserve praise for clearly demonstrated achievement or effort, and to be specific about what earned it. That way the praise signals what success looks like and encourages repeating those actions. This doesn’t mean avoiding praise altogether; it means keeping it meaningful and tied to observable performance, rather than handing it out regardless of merit or only delivering it after formal evaluation.