The Science of Motivating Young People w/ Dr. David Yeager

In this podcast episode, Dr. Aliza Pressman chats with developmental psychologist Dr. David Yeager about how to effectively motivate young people. Dr. Yeager challenges the idea that protecting teenagers from stress is helpful, suggesting instead that they actually thrive on challenges that spark both fear and excitement. He introduces the concept of the "mentor mindset," which combines high expectations with strong support, offering a better alternative to the overly strict "enforcer" or overly lenient "protector" parenting styles. The conversation highlights the need to understand what drives teenagers, reframe tasks to resonate with their values, and communicate supportively to help them tackle challenges and build resilience.