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What Is Positive Attention?
Giving positive attention means responding to others in affirmative ways, which might include giving praise, nodding in agreement, smiling or showing physical affection. Reacting positively to people is distinguished from negative attention by the effects of the attention on the recipient. A parent might give positive reinforcement to a child who is behaving calmly in a situation that usually causes him or her to throw a temper tantrum. Cognitive therapists sometimes use positive attention to encourage progress in patients' behaviors. Positive attention also has been discussed as an effective strategy in interacting with people who have attention deficit disorders.
The different types of attention might be classified as positive, negative and neutral. Positive attention involves pleasant words and affectionate physical contact or mannerisms that help the recipient feel validated, encouraged or supported. Negative attention, by contrast, typically is defined as reacting with disapproval or criticism to another person's words or actions. It also might refer to giving excessive attention to another person's negative actions, thus perpetuating the behaviors, particularly in children. Neutral attention can be categorized as reactions or communications that carry no strong emotions.
Giving excessive attention to unwanted behaviors often leads people to continue their behavioral patterns. This is true in the scenario of a mother who laughs every time a child slaps her. The child might interpret the positive reaction as approval and continue to hit the mother to please her. Children who throw temper tantrums also might continue this behavior if a parent stops each time to recognize the distress and shower the child with affection. A productive application of positive attention in this scenario is to show affection in moments when the child is calm and well-behaved.
Positive attention also applies to individuals who have attention deficit disorder. The parent of a child who has an attention disorder might become overwhelmed by the large number of tasks that remain incomplete. Experts suggest prioritizing the most important tasks in the day and giving positive reinforcement each time improvements have been made. Giving positive feedback is most effective when it is specific and delivered during or immediately after the behavior. Examples of praiseworthy behaviors by children include waiting patiently while someone finishes a story or focusing intently on homework.
The benefits of positive attention also are visible in interactions with adults. A cognitive therapist might praise a client's newly found strength to search for a job after a long period of unemployment. Business managers sometimes assist the development of new competencies in workers by acknowledging progress and rewarding workers with praise, bonuses and promotions.
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![Giving praise or acknowledging a job well done in the workplace is an example of positive attention.]()
By: Andres RodriguezGiving praise or acknowledging a job well done in the workplace is an example of positive attention. -
![Smiling at someone is a form of positive attention.]()
By: asifeSmiling at someone is a form of positive attention. -
![A child who might normally throw a temper tantrum in a situation can receive positive attention when he behaves calmly instead.]()
By: Erick SkydiveA child who might normally throw a temper tantrum in a situation can receive positive attention when he behaves calmly instead. -
![Physical affection is a type of positive attention couples share.]()
By: bercPhysical affection is a type of positive attention couples share. -
![Having a room of people listen intently during a presentation is positive attention.]()
By: Africa StudioHaving a room of people listen intently during a presentation is positive attention. -
![Positive attention can be given by pets and animals as much as from people.]()
By: СеÑгей ЧиÑковPositive attention can be given by pets and animals as much as from people.
Discussion Comments
@pleonasm - Honestly, I'm not a big fan of what most people would call positive attention or negative attention for raising children. Kids are usually just happy to be interacting with their parents and other adults in their lives. They don't need someone telling them what to do, as they will absolutely pick everything up from their environment.
So engaging your kids in conversation is the best kind of positive attention you can give them. Don't just blindly praise them every time they draw a picture. Talk to them about it as though it was actually something worthwhile. That will encourage them more than a thousand words of flattery.
@Fa5t3r - Sometimes people just don't think about stuff like that and can do quite a lot of damage. A mild example from my own childhood was that my father actually encouraged my sister to suck her thumb, because I did it and he thought it was adorable.
Of course, a few years down the track, we were both having to go through being punished for sucking our thumbs because we just kept on doing it. And my poor sister wouldn't have ever started if she hadn't been encouraged to do so.
This is true of dogs as well as children. If you have a puppy and let it leap all over you because you think that's cute, you'd better be prepared for it to do the same thing as an adult.
I guess that's a good rule for both children and animals. Treat them with the same attention you would if they were adults. If you wouldn't give an adult dog a pat for leaping up on you when you get home, don't give your puppy a treat either. If you wouldn't yell at an adult for tripping over in the supermarket, then don't do that to your child.
The way you treat them is the way they will always expect to be treated, so make sure you do it well.
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