Growth Mindset Research Studies
In one study about growth mindsets, Stanford University psychologist Carol Dweck and her colleagues assessed the mindsets of 373 students entering junior high school and then tracked the students' math grades for two years. At the end of the study, students who endorsed a strong growth mindset were outperforming those who held a fixed mindset, controlling for prior achievement.
In light of this finding, the researchers conducted a second study to see if an intervention to teach seventh graders that intelligence is malleable would have any effect on their motivation in the classroom or on their grades. The students were split into two groups for a 25-minute period once each week for eight weeks. During this time, half of the students were taught that intelligence is malleable, and the other half were taught study skills.
The students in the intervention group were taught that learning changes the brain and that they should think of the brain as a muscle that becomes stronger, developing new connections and strengthening existing ones as someone learns. As a result, a person becomes smarter. The lessons also stressed that mistakes made in the course of learning are necessary and help students learn. The lessons concluded with the message that students are in charge of this process and that being smart is a choice.
The results of this intervention were remarkable. While grades for all students in the experiment were declining on average before the intervention, for those students who were taught that intelligence is malleable, the decline in grades was reversed and their average math grades improved within a few months. In contrast, the students in the control group continued to experience a decline in grades.
This study provides evidence that the learning environment can influence an individual's mindset and that a fixed mindset can be changed into a growth mindset.
An example from my own life of moving from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset is in the area of public speaking. I used to hate public speaking, thought I was bad at it, and that there was nothing I could do about it. Then a couple of people recommended Toastmasters to me. I joined and focused on improving my public speaking skills. This past year alone, I've given dozens of talks on Why So Few? and have received very positive responses. I actually enjoy public speaking now - something I never thought I would say!
Have you moved from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset in any area of your life? How did you do it?
I didn't have any special beliefs about not being about to do certain things, but I've heard from a lot of women taking science classes that they don't think they are able to do mathematics, like Michiko. I like this way of approaching it, that it's a skill, similar to playing poker or hitting a table tennis ball, that you can increase with practice. Growth skills...good new term to learn for me.
A lot of my friends are afraid of maths and won't take anything with lots of numbers and calculations, thinking only males are good at such things. For some reason, I've always been good at maths and don't mind taking it, but always the boys laugh at me until I get a better grade than them.
Hi Christi,
I had trouble speaking up too, coming in part from pure shyness and in part from flunking my PhD orals after doing well on the written part. I considered doing pure research because I was averse towards speaking in any kind of a gotcha context. But in the end, I relaxed, practiced on my colleagues, and took a liberal arts college job with lots of teaching. Practice was the spoonful of sugar that made the medicine go down for me, but through my students, not Toastmasters. I actually enjoy talking with/to audiences nowadays. I've heard great things about Toastmasters from friends who don't have public speaking on their daily calendars, though, and all agree it's a great organization for overcoming fear. I've also heard polls saying people are MORE afraid of public speaking than of death!
cheers,
Laura
I just made myself speak up at every opportunity, facing the same inhibition about speaking in public/humiliation by male scientists was very hard. I did get humiliated a couple of times, but it didn't kill me. I guess it's like working out at the gym, doesn't kill you so you get stronger? But it's better to try to speak in places where you are pretty sure some of the audience will agree with you. A few smiles or murmurs can go a long way in making it seem worthwhile.
