Article written in collaboration with @mensana.psy Introduction Imagine receiving, on the same day, ten sincere compliments about your work and just one criticism. By the evening, which of these memories still occupies your mind? For most people, the answer is predictable: the criticism. This is neither a coincidence nor a sign of psychological fragility. It is the result of a cognitive mechanism deeply rooted in human biology, known in the literature as the negativity bias .

Abstract Parental language represents one of the most influential factors in children's psychological, emotional, and cognitive development. This article reviews the scientific evidence on the impact of parental verbal communication on children's and adolescents' identity formation, self-esteem, and cognitive abilities. Through an analysis of recent literature in developmental psychology, neuroscience, and attachment theory, it emerges that parental words do not constitute si