Neural Correlates of Growth Mindset: A Scoping Review of Brain-Based Evidence

Growth mindset, which asserts that intelligence and abilities can be cultivated through effort and learning, has garnered substantial attention in psychological and educational research. While the psychological and behavioral impacts of growth mindset are well-established, the underlying neural mechanisms remain relatively underexplored. Furthermore, there is a lack of comprehensive reviews synthesizing the neural evidence on growth mindset, hindering a fuller understanding of this concept. This scoping review aims to synthesize existing empirical studies on the neural mechanisms of growth mindset, focusing on research objectives, methods, and participant characteristics. A total of 15 studies were reviewed, revealing six primary research objectives: (1) neural mechanisms of error and feedback processing, (2) domain-specific mindsets, (3) neural changes resulting from mindset interventions, (4) mindsets and grit, (5) the neuroanatomy of mindsets, and (6) neural mechanisms of stereotype violation, with error and feedback processing being the most frequently investigated. Ten of the 15 studies employed EEG, while other techniques included structural MRI, task-based fMRI, and resting-state fMRI, with the majority of research focusing on adult populations. Although the existing literature offers valuable insights, further research is needed to explore additional aspects of mindsets, particularly in children, and to refine the methodologies used to investigate the neural mechanisms underlying growth mindset.