Mindset (Fixed vs Growth)
Psychologist Carol Dweck's theory about what you believe about your own abilities — whether talent is something you're born with and stuck with, or something you can grow. One of the most-taught ideas in school and self-help.
Implicit theories of intelligence (Dweck, 1995; 2006) is a validated construct measuring whether you see ability as fixed or as something you can grow. The construct and its scale are well-established, though the size of mindset-intervention effects is debated. (Carol Dweck, 2006)
Groups
- Fixed mindset — You see ability and intelligence as set — you either have it or you don't.
- Growth mindset — You see ability as something you can build through effort, good strategies, and learning from mistakes.
- A bit of both — Growth mindset in some areas, fixed in others, depending on what it is.
References
- Dweck, C. S., & Leggett, E. L. (1988). A social-cognitive approach to motivation and personality. Psychological Review, 95(2), 256–273
- Blackwell, L. S., Trzesniewski, K. H., & Dweck, C. S. (2007). Implicit theories of intelligence predict achievement across an adolescent transition: A longitudinal study and an intervention. Child Development, 78(1), 246–263
- Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. Random House
- Sisk, V. F., Burgoyne, A. P., Sun, J., Butler, J. L., & Macnamara, B. N. (2018). To what extent and under which circumstances are growth mind-sets important to academic achievement? Two meta-analyses. Psychological Science, 29(4), 549–571
Related topics
All topics on ArtaQuest