When do personal mindsets predict interest in a culture of growth versus genius? A mindset strength perspective

Decades of research indicate that growth versus fixed mindsets can influence important outcomes. Some, however, have recently questioned this conclusion, documenting small to nonexistent effects. Inspired by attitudes research, we propose that some growth mindsets may be stronger-more impactful-than others. Specifically, this work examines whether mindsets held with higher certainty are more likely to influence responses. A field study, a high-powered preregistered experiment, and an integrative data analysis test whether mindset certainty influences interest and engagement in organizations that endorse fixed versus growth mindsets. These studies found that when students held their mindsets with high levels of certainty, their personal mindset beliefs were highly predictive of their relative interest in growth versus fixed classrooms, but when they held their mindsets with less certainty, their personal mindsets did not predict relative interest in growth versus fixed classrooms in this same manner. Broadly, these studies support that mindsets vary in strength, which should encourage researchers to identify "when" rather than "whether" growth mindsets predict outcomes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).