A social psychologist who described that people have two mindsets

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A social psychologist who described that people have two mindsets

Over 30 years ago, Carol Dweck and her colleagues became interested in students' attitudes about failure. They noticed that some students rebounded while other students seemed devastated by even the smallest setbacks. After studying the behavior of thousands of children, Dr. Dweck coined the terms fixed mindset and growth mindset to describe the underlying beliefs people have about learning and intelligence. When students believe they can get smarter, they understand that effort makes them stronger. Therefore they put in extra time and effort, and that leads to higher achievement.

Recent advances in neuroscience have shown us that the brain is far more malleable than we ever knew. Research on brain plasticity has shown how connectivity between neurons can change with experience. With practice, neural networks grow new connections, strengthen existing ones, and build insulation that speeds transmission of impulses. These neuroscientific discoveries have shown us that we can increase our neural growth by the actions we take, such as using good strategies, asking questions, practicing, and following good nutrition and sleep habits.

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A social psychologist who described that people have two mindsets

At the same time that these neuroscientific discoveries were gaining traction, researchers began to understand the link between mindsets and achievement. It turns out, if you believe your brain can grow, you behave differently. So the researchers asked, “Can we change mindsets? And if so, how?” This began a series of interventions and studies that prove we can indeed change a person’s mindset from fixed to growth, and when we do, it leads to increased motivation and achievement. For example, 7th graders who were taught that intelligence is malleable and shown how the brain grows with effort showed a clear increase in math grades. Download the lesson plan used in this intervention!

A social psychologist who described that people have two mindsets

In addition to teaching kids about malleable intelligence, researchers started noticing that teacher practice has a big impact on student mindset, and the feedback that teachers give their students can either encourage a child to choose a challenge and increase achievement or look for an easy way out. For example, studies on different kinds of praise have shown that telling children they are smart encourages a fixed mindset, whereas praising hard work and effort cultivates a growth mindset. When students have a growth mindset, they take on challenges and learn from them, therefore increasing their abilities and achievement. Read more about how teacher practices impact student mindsets and achievement.

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A social psychologist who described that people have two mindsets

What does growth mindset teaching look like in the real world? When we take the research out of the laboratory and into the classroom, we see amazing results. One such case study is Fiske Elementary School. With a diverse student population of English language learners and special education students, the administrators at Fiske infused growth mindset into the school culture by starting with teacher mindsets. Teachers took part in a Mindset book study the first year of implementation, and completed the MindsetMaker™ online professional development the second year. While state test scores in math remained stagnant, Fiske Elementary saw amazing growth, which they attributed to a growth mindset teacher practices and culture shift. Read more Case Studies about closing the gap between research and practice.

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Mindsets are a series of self perceptions or beliefs people have about themselves. Here we explore mindsets and how to support young people in developing a mindset for improving resilience.

What are mindsets?

A mindset is a series of self-perceptions or beliefs people hold about themselves. These determine behaviour, outlook and mental attitude. For example, believing you are either ‘intelligent’ or ‘unintelligent’.

Two mindsets have been identified by Carol Dweck, (Professor of Psychology at Stanford University). A fixed mindset and a growth mindset (Dweck, C.S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. New York: Random House Inc). People can have both types of mindsets, a growth mindset in some situations (for example, towards maths) and a fixed mindset in others (for example towards sport).

What is a growth mindset?

This mindset is where a person’s self-belief is centred around the notion that, “…their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work. Brains and talent are just the starting point.” (Dweck, 2006)

What is a fixed mindset?

A Fixed Mindset is where people believe traits such as intelligence or talent are seen as fixed traits, set at birth. A person with a fixed mindset lets failure or success define them. Through this fixed mindset, a lot of time is spent by the person documenting their talents and less time working on developing them.

Those with a fixed mindset will describe themselves as either ‘dumb’ or ‘smart’ with no way to change this-shying away from challenges. When faced with failure or a different challenge, they will tell themselves and others, ‘they can’t do it’ or will make excuses to rationalise the failure (E.g. 'I didn't pass the test as I was too busy doing my homework for another subject').

Why is a growth mindset important for young people to develop?

  • A growth mindset allows young people to embrace failure and learn from it.
  • A growth mindset is critical to adopting learning-oriented behaviour.
  • Beliefs held by young people about learning and failure when they begin year 7 have a strong influence on their achievement over time.
  • People who believe that effort matters respond with more positive, sophisticated strategies to tasks and increasing their learning as time goes on.
  • Learning from failure causes substantial changes in the brain throughout life and is vital for resilience.

Exploring Failure through ReachOut.com

  • How to challenge a negative mindset
  • Developing positive self-talk
  • How to become self-aware

Who described people with two types of mindset?

Carol Dweck studies human motivation. She spends her days diving into why people succeed (or don't) and what's within our control to foster success. Her theory of the two mindsets and the difference they make in outcomes is incredibly powerful.

Who is the following psychologist that describe people has to mindset?

The concept of a growth mindset was developed by psychologist Carol Dweck and popularized in her book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. In recent years, many schools and educators have started using Dweck's theories to inform how they teach students.

Who developed the mindset theory?

Mindset Theory can be attributed to the psychologist Carol Dweck. Her work on mindset began in the 1970s after observing stark differences in children's reactions to challenges and setbacks. Dweck noticed that some children were rather aversive to challenges while others actively sought them.

What is Carol Dweck's mindset theory?

In her book, "Mindset," psychologist Carol Dweck says that success comes from having the right mindset rather than intelligence, talent or education. People with a fixed mindset believe that they're born with certain intelligence, skills and abilities that cannot change.