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THEORIES COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY

What Is a Mindset and Why It Matters

By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Updated on September 20, 2022 Print
Medically reviewed by Shaheen Lakhan, MD, PhD, FAAN

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Table of Contents What Is a Mindset?

De nition and Types Your mindset is a set of beliefs that shape how you make sense of the
world and yourself. It in uences how you think, feel, and behave in any
Fixed vs. Growth
Mindsets given situation. It means that what you believe about yourself impacts
your success or failure.
Formation

Impact
Your Mindset (Quiz)
Change Your Mindset
According to Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck, your beliefs play a pivotal
role in what you want and whether you achieve it. [1] Dweck has found that
it is your mindset that plays a signi cant role in determining achievement
and success. Advertisement

Mindsets can in uence how people behave in a wide range of situations in

life. For example, as people encounter di erent situations, their mind
triggers a speci c mindset that then directly impacts their behavior in
that situation.

Fixed vs. Growth Mindsets

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According to Dweck, there are two basic mindsets: xed and growth. If
you have a xed mindset, you believe your abilities are xed traits and
therefore can't be changed. You may also believe that your talent and
intelligence alone lead to success, and e ort is not required.

On the ip side, if you have a growth mindset, you believe that your
talents and abilities can be developed over time through e ort and
persistence. People with this mindset don't necessarily believe that
everyone can become Einstein or Mozart just because they try. They do,
however, believe that everyone can get smarter or more talented if they
work at it.

Here are some xed vs. growth mindset examples.

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Fixed Mindset Growth Mindset

Either I’m good at it or I’m not. I can learn to do anything I want.

That's just who I am. I can't I'm a constantly evolving work in

change it. progress.

If you have to work hard, you The more you challenge yourself, the
don't have the ability. smarter you become.
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If I don’t try, then I won’t fail. I only fail when I stop trying.

That job position is totally out That job position looks challenging.
of my league. Let me apply for it.

Press Play for Advice On Growth

Hosted by therapist Amy Morin, LCSW, this episode of The Verywell
Mind Podcast shares how to build a growth mindset. Click below to
listen now.

Subscribe Now: Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Google Podcasts

How Mindset Forms

So how is your mindset created in the rst place? Dweck's research reveals
two primary sources: praising and labeling, both of which occur in early
childhood.

The Impact of Praise

In a landmark series of experiments, Dweck and her colleagues found that
kids behaved very di erently depending on the type of praise they
received. [2] They found that personal praise, or praising a child’s talents
or labeling them as “smart," promotes a xed mindset. It sends a
message to a child that they either have an ability or they don't, and that
there is nothing they can do to change that fact.

Process praise, on the other hand, emphasizes the e ort a person puts in
to accomplish a task. It implies their success is due to the e ort and the
strategy they used, both of which they can control and improve over time.

Here’s an example of how they’re di erent. If your child gets a good grade
on a math test, personal praise might be, “See, you are good at math. You
got an A on your test.” Process praise, on the other hand, might sound like
this: “I’m impressed by how hard you studied for your math test. You read
the material over several times, asked your teacher to help you gure out
the tricky problems, and tested yourself on it. That really worked!”

Adults can take steps to ensure that their children develop growth
mindsets by praising e orts not results. By focusing on the process
rather than the outcome, adults can help kids understand that their
e orts, hard work, and dedication can lead to change, learning, and
growth both now and in the future.

The Impact of Labels

Labeling, which involves assigning people characteristics based on
stereotypes or associations with di erent groups, can also lead to the
development of xed or growth mindsets. A person who holds a
stereotype that girls are bad at math or that boys are bad at reading may
form a xed mindset about their own abilities in those speci c domains.

For example, researchers have found that just having students check
boxes about sex and race was enough to invoke internalized stereotypes
that a ected test performance. [3]

The Impact of Mindset

Your mindset plays a critical role in how you cope with life's challenges.
When a child has a growth mindset, they tend to have a hunger for
learning and a desire to work hard and discover new things. This often
translates into academic achievement.

As adults, these same people are more likely to persevere in the face of
setbacks. Instead of throwing in the towel, adults with a growth mindset
view it as an opportunity to learn and grow. On the other hand, those with
xed mindsets are more likely to give up in the face of challenging
circumstances.

In her book "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success," Dweck writes that
those with xed mindsets are constantly seeking the validation to prove
their worth not just to others, but also to themselves. [4]

“ "I've seen so many people with this one

consuming goal of proving themselves in the
classroom, in their careers, and in their
relationships. Every situation calls for a
con rmation of their intelligence, personality,
or character. Every situation is evaluated: Will
I succeed or fail? Will I look smart or dumb?
Will I be accepted or rejected? Will I feel like a
winner or a loser?”
— CAROL DWECK

Related: What Motivation Theory Can Tell Us About Human Behavior

What Is My Mindset?
Do you have a xed or growth mindset? To nd out, start by reading the
following statements and decide which ones you agree with most:

1. You're born with a certain amount of intelligence and it isn't

something that can be changed.

2. No matter who you are, there isn't much you can do to improve
your basic abilities and personality.

3. People are capable of changing who they are.

4. You can learn new things and improve your intelligence.

5. People either have particular talents, or they don't. You can't just
acquire talent for things like music, writing, art, or athletics.

6. Studying, working hard, and practicing new skills are all ways to
develop new talents and abilities.

If you tend to agree most with statements 1, 2, and 5, then you probably
have a more xed mindset. If you agree most with statements 3, and 4, 6,
however, then you probably tend to have a growth mindset.

How to Unfix a Fixed Mindset

While people with a xed mindset might not agree, Dweck suggests that
people are capable of changing their mindsets. Here's how.

Focus on the journey. An important factor when building a growth

mindset is seeing the value in your journey. When you're xated on
the end result, you miss out on all the things you could be learning
along the way.

Incorporate "yet." If you're struggling with a task, remind yourself

that you just haven’t mastered it “yet.” Integrating this word into
your vocabulary signals that despite any struggles, you can
overcome anything.

Pay attention to your words and thoughts. Replace negative

thoughts with more positive ones to build a growth mindset.

Take on challenges. Making mistakes is one of the best ways to

learn. [5] So, instead of shying away from challenges, embrace them.

Related: 6 Strategies for Success in Life

5 Sources

By Kendra Cherry, MSEd

Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation
specialist, psychology educator, and author of the
"Everything Psychology Book."

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