Mindset Theory and School Psychology

Mindset theory is an achievement motivation theory that centers on the concept of the malleability of abilities. According to mindset theory, students tend to have either a growth mindset or a fixed mindset about their intelligence; students with a growth mindset tend to believe that intelligence is malleable, whereas students with fixed mindsets tend to believe that intelligence is unchangeable. As described in many empirical and theoretical papers, the mindset a student holds can influence important psychological and behavioral factors, including reaction to failure, persistence and level of effort, and expectations of success, which ultimately impact academic achievement. Importantly, mindsets can be changed, and interventions have been developed to promote a more growth mindset. A growth mindset allows students to view challenges as an opportunity for improvement, is linked to enjoyment of learning, and increases motivation in school. School psychologists are often working with students with learning differences and/or mental health concerns who are particularly at-risk for poor academic achievement, and researchers have demonstrated the important impact a growth mindset can have for these vulnerable students. School psychologists are well-positioned to incorporate mindset theory into the school environment in order to best support the students they serve. In this paper we provide a theoretical overview of mindset theory and mindset interventions, and specifically review the literature on mindset theory for individuals with learning disabilities and mental health challenges. We discuss how school psychologists can incorporate mindset theory into their practice to support the shift from a fixed to a growth mindset for all students.

Evidence for a Cultural Mindset: Combining Process Data, Theory, and Simulation

Despite large literature on Cross-Cultural Competence (3C) there is a gap in understanding learning processes and mechanisms by which people arrive at successful 3C. We present a novel perspective for 3C learning and decision-making in innovative assessment contexts. We use Mindset theory (i.e., believing ability is fixed or changeable) because it is shown to be a powerful motivator for general learning and performance and in cross-cultural contexts. We propose the notion of cultural mindsets – beliefs, affect, and cognition that govern how people adapt, learn, and update cultural information. To understand how cultural mindset affects learning and performance, we apply computational cognitive modeling using Markov decision process (MDP). Using logfile data from an interactive 3C task, we operationalize behavioral differences in actions and decision making based on Mindset theory, developing cognitive models of fixed and malleable cultural mindsets based on mechanisms of initial beliefs, goals, and belief updating. To explore the validity of our theory, we develop computational MDP models, generate simulated data, and examine whether performance patterns fit our expectations. We expected the malleable cultural mindset would be better at learning the cultural norms in the assessment, more persistent in cultural interactions, quit less before accomplishing the task goal, and would be more likely to modify behavior after negative feedback. We find evidence of distinct patterns of cultural learning, decision-making, and performance with more malleable cultural mindsets showing significantly greater cultural learning, persistence, and responsiveness to feedback, and more openness to exploring current cultural norms and behavior. Moreover, our model was supported in that we were able to accurately classify 83% of the simulated records from the generating model. We argue that cultural mindsets are important mechanisms involved in effectively navigating cross-cultural situations and should be considered in a variety of areas of future research including education, business, health, and military institutions.

Exploring the Mindset of Veterinary Educators for Intelligence, Clinical Reasoning, Compassion, and Morality

Mindset theory describes whether an individual believes their intelligence can be honed and improved with effort or whether it is inherent and fixed. These two different perceptions are called growth and fixed mindsets, respectively. Previous research has shown that students with growth mindsets embrace challenges, strive for mastery, have better psychological well-being, and are more resilient than students with fixed mindsets. Mindset is contagious, and teachers’ mindsets can influence students’ mindsets, motivation, and feedback-seeking behaviors. This is the first study of the veterinary educator mindset. Previous research has shown that mindset can vary by subject or personal attributes, called domains. This study investigated mindset in four domains: intelligence, clinical reasoning, compassion, and morality. A survey was developed by combining two previously published mindset scales and was distributed electronically to the veterinary teaching faculty at St. George’s University, Grenada. The survey participants ( n = 38, response rate 56%) showed predominantly growth mindsets, with some variation by domain: for intelligence, 84.2% growth, 5.3% intermediate, 10.5% fixed mindset; for clinical reasoning, 92.1% growth, 5.3% intermediate, 2.6% fixed mindset; for compassion, 63.2% growth, 2.6% intermediate, 34.2% fixed; and for morality, 60.5% growth, 13.2% intermediate, and 26.3% fixed mindset. Fifteen participants (39.5%) had fixed mindsets in one or more domains. Twenty participants (52.6%) had growth mindsets in all four domains. There were no associations found between demographic variables and mindset. This study found that most of the veterinary teaching faculty at this university had growth mindsets in all domains investigated.

Neural correlates of error-monitoring and mindset: Back to the drawing board?

The different ways students deal with mistakes is an integral part of mindset theory. While previous error-monitoring studies found supporting neural evidence for mindset-related differences, they may have been confounded by overlapping stimulus processing. We therefore investigated the relationship between mindset and event-related potentials (ERPs) of error-monitoring (response-locked Ne, Pe), with and without overlap correction. In addition, besides behavioral measures of remedial action after errors (post-error slowing and accuracy), we investigated their neural correlates (stimulus-locked N2). Results indicated comparable Ne, but larger Pe amplitudes in fixed-minded students; however, after overlap correction, the Pe results were rendered non-significant. A likely explanation for this overlap was a near-significant effect of mindset on the preceding stimulus P3. Finally, although N2 was larger for trials following errors, mindset was unrelated. The current study shows that the relationship between error-monitoring and mindset is more complex and should be reconsidered. Future studies are advised to explore stimulus processing as well, and if needed, to correct for stimulus overlap. In addition, contextual influences on and individual variation in error-monitoring need more scrutiny, which may contribute to refining mindset theory.

Encouraging a Shift in Mindsets K-6

The authors' focus while writing this chapter is to effectively implement a mindset shift in their classrooms to successfully lead their students to take ownership of their learning and build resilience for the challenges they face in the classroom. An individual's mindset encompasses the beliefs and thoughts that the person has regarding his or her capabilities, intelligence, traits, and success. According to Zhang, Kuusisto, and Tirrri, the mindset theory founded on positive psychology by Carol Dweck asserts that human intelligence is a flexible quantity that helps in the prediction of numerous individual achievements such as socioeconomic, academic, cognitive, and affective achievements.

Shifting Mindsets: Transforming Self, School, and Society

We are living in a time of profound disruption and planetary crises which is calling on all of us to show up and make a contribution that serves the wellbeing of all. A central aspect of making such a contribution is the capacity to shift our mindsets towards more caring, inclusive, and interdependent perspectives. This chapter explores mindsets in an educational context. We begin with a general overview of mindset theory and examine the relationship between mindsets and the unfolding of human potential. Then we explore fixed and growth mindset theory in education, which is primarily focused on learning, achievement, and improvement. Next, we evolve this focus to include benefit mindset theory, which integrates leadership, contribution, and transformation, and focuses on how we can recognise our interdependence with the living Earth community, turn towards our individual and collective shadows, and realise our unique potential in a way that serves the wellbeing of all. We include a table of 10 mindset transformations, and we invite scholars and educators to explore implications.

Agency Mindset Theory

A culturally based socio-cognitive agency generic model is developed. The agency has a normative personality with an values/beliefs indicated by its formative traits. These can take bi-polar epistemic values (“enantiomers”). These may be combined together, giving 8 different cognitive types that are personality type mind-sets. These types are influenced by the culture and the social environment that the agency is bound to. The traits can be used to explain the what, why and how of dynamic agency behaviour in complex situations.