how does the encouragement work

[lovelysimmer1985]

i was wondering how the encouragement work as when i encourage nothing seems to change

[ancienthighway]

After several encourage sessions on the same personality trait, the bar will move in as you encouraged.

On the Sloppy-Neat personality, the parent sim has 8, child has 2.  Repeatedly encouraging the child to be neat will increase from 2 all the way up to 10 if so desired.  The larger the age difference the more effecting the encouragement.  It might take an adult 5 or 6 sessions to see one level of change, but an elder to adult might do it in 4.  A teen to child could take 10 sessions.  I've never bothered to figure out exactly how many it takes for each combination.