Fixed mindset and growth
mindset
According to Carol Dweck,[4] individuals
can be placed on a continuum according to their implicit views of "where
ability comes from".
Dweck states that there are two categories (growth mindset versus fixed mindset) that can group
individuals based on their behaviour, specifically their reaction to failure.
Those with a "fixed mindset" believe that abilities are mostly innate
and interpret failure as the lack of necessary basic abilities, while those
with a "growth mindset" believe that they can acquire any given
ability provided they invest effort or study.
Dweck argues that the growth mindset "will allow a person to
live a less stressful and more successful life".
In a 2012 interview, Dweck defined both fixed and growth
mindsets:
"In a fixed mindset students believe
their basic abilities, their intelligence, their talents, are just fixed
traits. They have a certain amount and that's that, and then their goal becomes
to look smart all the time and never look dumb. In a growth mindset students
understand that their talents and abilities can be developed through effort,
good teaching and persistence. They don't necessarily think everyone's the same
or anyone can be Einstein, but they believe everyone can get smarter if they
work at it."[5]
A large part of Dweck's research on mindsets has been done in
the field of education, and how these mindsets affect a student's performance
in the classroom. The growth mindset is clearly the more desirable of the two
for students.[6][7] In
particular, an individual's mindset impacts how they face and cope with
challenges, such as the transition into junior high school from elementary
school or losing your job.[4] According
to Dweck, individuals with a "growth" theory are more likely to
continue working hard despite setbacks. Individuals' theories of intelligence
can be affected by subtle environmental cues. For example, children given
praise such as "good job, you're very smart" are much more likely to
develop a fixed mindset, whereas if given compliments like "good job, you
worked very hard" they are likely to develop a growth mindset.
While elements of our personality – such as sensitivity to
mistakes and setbacks – can make us predisposed towards holding a certain
mindset, we are able to develop and reshape our mindset through our
interactions.[8] In
multiple studies, Carol Dweck and her colleagues noted that alterations in
mindset could be achieved through “praising the process through which success
was achieved”,[9] “having
[college aged students] read compelling scientific articles that support one
view or the other”,[8]or teaching junior high school
students “that every time they try hard and learn something new, their brain
forms new connections that, over time, make them smarter”.[10] These
studies all demonstrate how framing and discussing students’ work and effort
play a considerable role in the type of mindset students develop and students’
conceptions of their own ability.
Dweck’s research and theory of growth and fixed mindsets has
been useful in intervention strategies with at risk students, particularly in
challenging subject areas,[11]dispelling negative stereotypes in
education held by teachers and students, understanding the impacts of
self-theories on resilience, and understanding how process praise can foster a
growth mindset and positively impact students’ motivation levels.[12]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mindset
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