How can adults raise children’s self-esteem? From one of our top 10 pieces Eddie Brummelman has 3 tips: 💭 Help children reflect on how they have improved over time 📢 Offer constructive criticism ✨ Accept & value them for who they are unconditionally #ChildDevelopment boldscience.org/the-delicate...

The delicate art of raising children’s self-esteem

Reinforcing the three pillars of healthy self-esteem at home and at school

boldscience.org

🤩It was a pleasure being interviewed by Annie Brookman-Byrne for @boldinsights.bsky.social about Lil'Scientist—our KiDLAB platform for engaging children from diverse backgrounds in science. With Lil'Scientist, adults can dispel the myth that science isn’t for everyone. @jacobsfoundation.bsky.social

BOLD@boldinsights.bsky.social · 3mo ago

“Every child is a born scientist. Yet as they grow up, many children come to believe that science isn’t for them, that it’s reserved for a select few.” Adults can help dispel the myth that science isn’t for everyone, says Eddie Brummelman. @kidlab.bsky.social #STEM boldscience.org/all-children...

🤩 We are so proud of Mirna Đurić for winning the Graduate Student Paper Award!

Relationship Researchers Interest Group@rrigspsp.bsky.social · 6mo ago

Huge thanks to all of our amazing speakers at the SPSP Close Relationships Preconference, and congratulations again to our award winners, Bonnie Le and Mirna Đurić! See you all next year! ✨ @spspnews.bsky.social #SPSP2026 #SPSPCloseRels

💰Economic inequality is on the rise, and children will bear its burden. Yet children’s perspectives are rarely considered. We urgently need research to understand economic inequality from children's perspectives. (1/4) rdcu.be/e3Qlb

Have you noticed how we often describe people from disadvantaged backgrounds as “strivers” or “go-getters” (💪🏼) rather than naturally gifted (🧠)? This may sound benign, but our new KiDLAB research shows that it reveals a harmful, early-emerging stereotype. (1/5)

👏Want to motivate someone? Try delaying your praise. This is what we found in a new series of experiments with Nils Jostmann: psycnet.apa.org/record/2026-...

"Mama, ik kan het zelf!" Interview 👇met NEMO-kennislink over ons onderzoek (met Eddie Brummelman @kidlab.bsky.social )waarin we zagen dat hulp er toe kan leiden dat kinderen zich minder competent voelen en minder gemotiveerd raken. www.nemokennislink.nl/publicaties/...

Hulp maakt kinderen minder gemotiveerd

Je zou denken dat een kind wanneer iets niet lukt, graag hulp wil. Onderzoek toont echter aan dat dit vaak averechts werkt: het demotiveert, neemt uitdaging weg en kinderen voelen zich incompetent.

nemokennislink.nl

Why is self-esteem important for children? And how can parents and teachers cultivate it? An interview with Annie Brookman-Byrne for BOLD (@boldinsights.bsky.social & @jacobsfoundation.bsky.social) about our KiDLAB research: boldscience.org/bold-explore...

BOLD explores… Children's self-esteem – BOLD

What is self-esteem? Why do some children have higher self-esteem and others have low self-esteem? How does self-esteem impact children?

boldscience.org

BBC article on our work showing that having deep conversations with their parents can make children feel more loved. "Rather than just talking about leisure and work, the parents and kids spoke about topics that really matter." www.bbc.com/future/artic...

The shortcut to close bonds? Asking meaningful questions

The right questions can help us connect with strangers – and create closer bonds between parents and children.

bbc.com

😍KiDLAB at #ECDP2025 (eadp.bsky.social)! Hannah presented her work on entitlement. Eddie presented an overview of the lab’s ongoing work on how inequality becomes ingrained in children’s self-views. We met with many friends (on bsky: @lauraktaylorphd.bsky.social & @jelliesierksma.bsky.social).

KiDLAB (kidlab.nl) is looking for a new lab manager! Are you a bachelor’s or master’s student in the NL and would you like to work with us? Please apply! You’ll help coordinate and carry out in-person research with children, parents, and teachers in the NL. werkenbij.uva.nl/vacatures/st...

Vacature — Student-Assistent (Lab Manager) KiDLAB: Onderzoek naar Zelfbeeld en Ongelijkheid

Wil je assisteren in onderzoek naar zelfbeeld en kansenongelijkheid bij kinderen? Dan zoeken wij jou als student-assistent (lab manager) bij KiDLAB (https://kidlab.nl/).

werkenbij.uva.nl

🚀Have you booked your travel? 💼Are you already packing your bags? Only two more months until ECDP! Our keynotes🔽 August 26th ⏰Livio Provenzi & Michael Pluess August 27th ⏰Rasa Barkauskienė & Geertjan Overbeek August 28th ⏰Eddie Brummelman & Lukas Blinka Program: www.ecdp2025vilnius.eu #ECDP

“Self-disclosure characterises loving, warm relationships, and those are, of course, critical for child development.” Melissa Hogenboom hears from Eddie Brummelman how asking and answering personal questions can help children feel more loved. boldscience.org/how-parents-...

How parents can make their children feel more loved

Simply asking and answering personal questions can help

boldscience.org

👽 “Everyone is welcome — yes, even aliens” 🦺 “No more dull, dusty white lab coats!” 🍕 “Beanbags everywhere, and pizza in the cafeteria” What does the university of the future look like? On behalf of KiDLAB and Lil’Scientist, we asked children this question at the lustrum of The Young Academy.

New publication! Children get help all the time – but how it affects them is unclear. Eddie Brummelman @kidlab.bsky.social and I show that help can lead to negative self-views and reduced motivation in children (even the type of help that we often assume leads to mastery) 👇 doi.org/10.1111/cdev...

Why does narcissism stick? You’d think life’s challenges would deflate inflated self-views—but narcissists often stay narcissistic. Focusing on the key age of adolescence, our paper suggests one reason: they frequently think about how they’re better than others. www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

🥳Our BOLD interview series is complete! In the final piece, we share tips to address inequality in the classroom: recognize structural barriers, give empowering feedback, and foster a growth mindset. boldscience.org/tag/inequali... (with @jelliesierksma.bsky.social) @jacobsfoundation.bsky.social

Inequality in education

Practical takeaways and personal insights from authors of articles in a collection on understanding and addressing inequality in education in the journal npj Science of Learning.

boldscience.org

👑 Even children are drawn to narcissistic leaders. Here we show how this starts early—and why it matters. 🙏 Leadership is not fixed. Kids can learn to lead democratically, with purpose, and for the common good. Let's take leadership development seriously. www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-...

Why Narcissists Emerge as Leaders Even in Childhood

Many children choose to follow peers with more narcissistic tendencies—and self-esteem may be part of the complex power dynamics involved

scientificamerican.com

🟣 This is the fifteenth interview in the BOLD series on our special collection. Louise Elffers highlights why questioning how we define and measure inequality is key to impactful inter- and transdisciplinary research on educational inequality. boldscience.org/the-growing-....

The growing science of educational inequality

Bringing together perspectives from different fields could help reduce inequality in education

boldscience.org

😍KiDLAB at #SRCD2025! Our symposium explored how teachers can unintentionally reinforce classroom inequality—and why. Chaired by Lena-Emilia Schenker, with talks from Kelly Ziemer, Marianna Zhang (@mariannazhang.bsky.social), and Elise Kaufman, joined by Julia Leonard (@julia-a-leonard.bsky.social).

🟣 This is the fourteenth interview in the BOLD series on our special collection. Marjolein Muskens emphasizes that education should promote empowerment and equality. Yet too often, the talents of students from disadvantaged backgrounds are overlooked: boldscience.org/hidden-bias-....

Hidden bias in standardized tests

Low-SES students tend to score lower than expected on math items that refer to money, food, and social interactions

boldscience.org

☯️ Who’s drawn to narcissistic leaders? KiDLAB research in American Psychologist shows that narcissistic leaders’ dominance and confidence mesh well with the submissiveness and insecurity of low self-esteem followers. Over time, this could create a toxic symbiosis. 🔗 psycnet.apa.org/record/2025-...

🟣 This is the thirteenth interview in the BOLD series on our special collection. Lisa Bardach (University of Giessen) asks: Might students in lower-ranked tracks hold negative stereotypes about their track, with detrimental long-term effects on their success? boldscience.org/childrens-aw...

Children’s awareness of stereotypes about school pathways

How do children think others view their path through school, and why does it matter?

boldscience.org

🟣 This is the twelfth interview in the BOLD series on our special collection. Sébastien Goudeau (@sebastiengoudeau.bsky.social) discuss his work on how preschoolers see inequality in the classroom: boldscience.org/how-preschoo...

How preschoolers see inequality in the classroom

Children think those who contribute more in class are more interested and intelligent

boldscience.org

Come work with us! Eddie Brummelman @kidlab.bsky.social and I are looking for two PhD-students. Both projects are about the psychological impact of unequal treatment in the classroom.

Two interdisciplinary PhD positions at the University of Amsterdam researching "the psychological consequences of unequal treatment in the classroom." With BSky supervisors: @jelliesierksma.bsky.social & @kidlab.bsky.social #AcademicSky #PhdSky #PsychJobs #SocialPsyc #DevPsyc

PhD Position: 'The Psychological Consequences of Unequal Treatment in the Classroom'

Do you want to know what goes on in children’s heads when they are treated unequally in the classroom? Then apply for this PhD-position and join our team! "The Psychological Consequences of Unequal Tr...

academictransfer.com

🟣 This is the eleventh interview in the BOLD series on our special collection. Allison Zengilowski and Irum Maqbool discuss their work showing that efforts to improve educational equality may inadvertently frame students as deficient rather than changing structures: boldscience.org/do-education....

Do educational interventions increase equality?

Focusing on individual students and ignoring structural factors may reinforce inequality

boldscience.org

🟣 This is the tenth interview in the BOLD series on our special collection. Eddie Brummelman discusses KiDLAB research on why children from disadvantaged backgrounds often receive seemingly well-intentioned but disabling messages from teachers, like inflated praise: boldscience.org/inflated-pra....

Inflated praise can reinforce stereotypes

However well-intentioned, it can send the wrong message

boldscience.org

🟣 This is the ninth interview in the BOLD series on our special collection. Hanna Dumont explains when and why personalized learning—adapting instruction to students’ individual needs—may reduce or ironically exacerbate achievement inequality. boldscience.org/can-personal....

Can personalized learning increase educational equity?

If not implemented well, personalized learning technologies risk harming the most disadvantaged students

boldscience.org

😍 In his 1958 paper, The Nature of Love, Harlow laid the foundation for the scientific study of love. In a special issue we edited for Developmental Science, we make a new case for studying love in child development: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/toc/10.1...

The Nature of Love Revisited: How Social Bonds Shape Development

Click on the article title to read more.

onlinelibrary.wiley.com