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What can be learned from growth mindset controversies?
David S Yeager1, Carol S Dweck2
1Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin.
The American Psychologist
|December 31, 2020
Summary
Growth mindset research is reliable, but effects vary. New methods help understand why interventions work for some students but not others, guiding future improvements in educational psychology.
Area of Science:
- Educational Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Social Psychology
Background:
- The growth mindset posits that intellectual abilities are malleable.
- Recent research has questioned the reliability and generalizability of growth mindset interventions.
- Key questions concern prediction of student outcomes, intervention efficacy, and teacher implementation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To address recent questions regarding the validity and impact of growth mindset research.
- To evaluate the reliability and meaningfulness of growth mindset interventions.
- To explore the potential for teachers to foster growth mindsets in students.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of large-scale studies, including preregistered replications and third-party research.
- Examination of standardized measures and interventions for growth mindset.
- Review of studies investigating the moderators and contexts of intervention effectiveness.
Main Results:
- Large-scale, independent studies support confidence in growth mindset research findings.
- Growth mindset effects demonstrate significant heterogeneity across individuals and educational contexts.
- Advances in methodology enable better understanding of intervention variability.
Conclusions:
- Growth mindset research is robust, yet intervention effects are context-dependent.
- Standardized measures, targeted negative case studies, and moderation frameworks advance the field.
- Future research should focus on optimizing classroom contexts to enhance intervention effectiveness.
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