What Can Be Learned From Growth Mindset Controversies?

• Published in: The American psychologist 2020-12, Vol.75 (9), p.1269-1284
• Main Authors: Yeager, David S., Dweck, Carol S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Academic Success; Classrooms; Cognition; Educational Psychology; Experimental Replication; Government agencies; Human; Humans; Individuality; Intellectual ability; Intellectual Development; Intelligence; Intervention; Learning; Mindset; Models, Psychological; Moderation; Students - psychology; Teachers; Theories
• ISSN: 0003-066X; 1935-990X; 1935-990X
• DOI: 10.1037/amp0000794

The growth mindset is the belief that intellectual ability can be developed. This article seeks to answer recent questions about growth mindset, such as: Does a growth mindset predict student outcomes? Do growth mindset interventions work, and work reliably? Are the effect sizes meaningful enough to merit attention? And can teachers successfully instill a growth mindset in students? After exploring the important lessons learned from these questions, the article concludes that large-scale studies, including preregistered replications and studies conducted by third parties (such as international governmental agencies), justify confidence in growth mindset research. Mindset effects, however, are meaningfully heterogeneous across individuals and contexts. The article describes three recent advances that have helped the field to learn from this heterogeneity: standardized measures and interventions, studies designed specifically to identify where growth mindset interventions do not work (and why), and a conceptual framework for anticipating and interpreting moderation effects. The next generation of mindset research can build on these advances, for example by beginning to understand and perhaps change classroom contexts in ways that can make interventions more effective. Throughout, the authors reflect on lessons that can enrich metascientific perspectives on replication and generalization. Public Significance Statement Research on growth mindset-the belief that intellectual ability can be developed-has found that a growth mindset can lead to greater resilience and academic achievement among students facing difficulties. The present article reviews the evidence and shows that highly quality studies, and independent analyses, have supported the conclusion that growth mindset effects are replicable, meaningful, and theoretically grounded, but interventions targeting teachers (rather than students) have not yet been effective. The article concludes with a discussion of why it has been difficult to change teachers or schools and why new research is needed on this topic.