Intro
American psychologist Carol Dweck is primarily interested in the influence of mindset on motivation and self-regulation. She believes that the right mindset can be the key to our success. She specifically focuses on fixed and growth mindsets, which she believes are two ends of a spectrum of how people view their abilities. Those towards the fixed end believe their abilities are innate and unchangeable, whereas those who lie towards the growth end of the continuum believe that their abilities are malleable, and success can be achieved through hard work.
Dweck promotes a growth mindset as more adaptive than a fixed mindset and encourages parents and teachers to guide children in developing a growth mindset. Her ultimate goal is to reduce stress and encourage people to persevere when faced with challenges. Individuals with a fixed mindset tend to stay down when they fall. Dweck stresses the importance of getting back up and trying again, reminding us that, with dedication and hard work, we are all capable of achieving great things.
Test scores and measures of achievement tell you where a student is, but they don’t tell you where a student could end up.
– Carol Dweck in her 2006 book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success
