Mindset: The Psychology of Mindset: The Psychology of Learning and AchievementLearning and Achievement

Mindset: The Mindset: The Psychology of SuccessPsychology of Success

AgendaAgenda

Two mindsetsTwo mindsets Motivational framework supporting Motivational framework supporting

mindsetsmindsets PraisePraise The brainThe brain Lasting changeLasting change SummarySummary

Two mindsetsTwo mindsets

Are people born Are people born smart?smart?

Prime MinisterPrime Minister

Winston Churchill Winston Churchill REPEATEDREPEATED a a grade during grade during elementary schoolelementary school

He was placed in He was placed in the the LOWEST LOWEST division of the division of the LOWESTLOWEST class class

ComposerComposer

Beethoven’s teacher Beethoven’s teacher called him a called him a HOPELESSHOPELESS

composercomposer

He wrote He wrote 5 5 of his of his greatest greatest

SYMPHONIES SYMPHONIES while while DEAFDEAF

WriterWriter

Leo Tolstoy Leo Tolstoy dropped dropped out of collegeout of college

He was described He was described as both “as both “UNABLE UNABLE and unwilling toand unwilling to

LEARNLEARN" "

Role modelsRole models

……..Einstein'sEinstein's teacher said that he was teacher said that he was ‘academically subnormal‘academically subnormal’’

……..Michael Jordan'sMichael Jordan's coach said that he coach said that he wasn’t more talented than other peoplewasn’t more talented than other people……

……....Walt DisneyWalt Disney was told that he lacked was told that he lacked ‘creative imagination’‘creative imagination’

‘‘People are made, not People are made, not born’born’

The ‘growth mindset’The ‘growth mindset’

Two mindsetsTwo mindsets

MindsetMindset

Related to your belief about abilityRelated to your belief about ability Creates a whole mental world for Creates a whole mental world for

you you to live into live in FixedFixed mindset – ability cannot mindset – ability cannot

changechange GrowthGrowth mindset – ability can mindset – ability can

change change (grow)(grow)

Set of 6 studies of childrenSet of 6 studies of childrenPraised for Praised for efforteffort Praised for Praised for

abilityability

goalsgoals 90% of the 90% of the group created group created learning goalslearning goals

66% of the 66% of the group createdgroup created

performance performance goalsgoals

enjoymentenjoyment continuedcontinued decreaseddecreased

persistencepersistence continuedcontinued decreaseddecreased

performanceperformance improvedimproved declineddeclined

lied about lied about scoresscores

one individualone individual 40%40%

Motivational Motivational Framework Framework

supporting mindsetssupporting mindsetsGoalsGoals

ResponsesResponsesEffortEffort

StrategiesStrategies

Goals:Goals: are the things we aim forare the things we aim for

Goals:Goals: performance performance Those with a Those with a FIXED MINDSETFIXED MINDSET tend to tend to

create create PERFORMANCE PERFORMANCE goals. goals.

They believe that a person’s They believe that a person’s POTENTIALPOTENTIAL can be can be MEASUREDMEASURED.. They aim to receive They aim to receive validation from others.validation from others.

Receiving low marks mean that they are Receiving low marks mean that they are not smart.not smart.

Both success and failure cause Both success and failure cause ANXIETY.ANXIETY.

Goals:Goals: learninglearning Those with a growth mindset tend to create Those with a growth mindset tend to create

LEARNING LEARNING goals.goals.

The goal is The goal is MASTERY MASTERY and and COMPETENCE.COMPETENCE.

Scores and marks reflect how people are Scores and marks reflect how people are doing doing NOWNOW and do not measure a person’s and do not measure a person’s potential.potential.

Creating goals for learning has shown to Creating goals for learning has shown to INCREASE PERFORMANCEINCREASE PERFORMANCE and enjoyment and enjoyment and decrease negative emotion.and decrease negative emotion.

Responses: Responses: are how we react to eventsare how we react to events

Response:Response: helplesshelplessWhen faced with failure or challenge, people with When faced with failure or challenge, people with

a FIXED mindset:a FIXED mindset:

do not pay attention to learning informationdo not pay attention to learning information get depressed, become get depressed, become de-energisedde-energised and lose and lose

self-esteemself-esteem denigrate their intelligence: ‘I am stupid’, denigrate their intelligence: ‘I am stupid’,

they’ll thinkthey’ll think under-represent past successes and over-under-represent past successes and over-

represent failures (pessimism)represent failures (pessimism) explain the cause of events as something explain the cause of events as something

stable about them.stable about them.

Response:Response: mastery mastery Pay attention to learning information, and Pay attention to learning information, and

so do better on future tests.so do better on future tests. Focus on what they are learning, rather Focus on what they are learning, rather

than focusing on how they feel.than focusing on how they feel. Try out new ways of doing things.Try out new ways of doing things. Use self-motivating statements such as ‘ Use self-motivating statements such as ‘

the harder it gets the harder I try’.the harder it gets the harder I try’. When faced with tests which are When faced with tests which are

impossible to pass they will factor in other impossible to pass they will factor in other reasons and not blame their intellect i.e. reasons and not blame their intellect i.e. this test was beyond my ability for now.this test was beyond my ability for now.

Effort:Effort: is it required for success?is it required for success?

EffortEffort Those with a Those with a fixed fixed

mindsetmindset view effort as a view effort as a reflectionreflection of of low low intelligenceintelligence..

Hard work means ‘I Hard work means ‘I don’t get it’, ‘I’m don’t get it’, ‘I’m unintelligentunintelligent

Effort = lack of abilityEffort = lack of ability

Those with a Those with a growthgrowth mindset see effort as a mindset see effort as a necessary part of necessary part of successsuccess..

They They try hardertry harder when when faced with a setback.faced with a setback.

Effort = success.Effort = success.

They use effort to They use effort to overcome overcome difficulty.difficulty.

EffortEffort

People were asked about intelligence and People were asked about intelligence and how much they thought it was down to how much they thought it was down to effort and how much they thought it was effort and how much they thought it was about abilityabout ability

Intelligence=______% effort _______% Intelligence=______% effort _______% abilityability

Fixed = 35% effort vs. 65% abilityFixed = 35% effort vs. 65% ability Growth = 65% effort vs. 35% abilityGrowth = 65% effort vs. 35% ability

Effort:Effort: mindsetmindset

Strategies:Strategies:how to reach successhow to reach success

Strategies:Strategies: growth mindsetgrowth mindset

People adopting a growth mindset tend to People adopting a growth mindset tend to generate other, and new, ways to do generate other, and new, ways to do things.things.

If one route doesn’t work they will try If one route doesn’t work they will try others.others.

They will think ‘outside of the box’ to They will think ‘outside of the box’ to solve problems because they believe that solve problems because they believe that they ‘can’.they ‘can’.

Strategies: Strategies: fixed mindsetfixed mindset

Carol Dweck has found that students with Carol Dweck has found that students with a fixed mindset keep using the wrong a fixed mindset keep using the wrong strategy when faced with a problem.strategy when faced with a problem.

Then they disengage from the problem.Then they disengage from the problem.

Finally, they give up.Finally, they give up.

PraisePraise

People are very sensitive to the messages People are very sensitive to the messages they receive about themselves.they receive about themselves.

The way we interact with young people The way we interact with young people can foster either a growth or a fixed can foster either a growth or a fixed mindset.mindset.

Praise for effort v. praise for ability.Praise for effort v. praise for ability.

Praise: Praise: abilityability

Praising for ability (e.g. talent Praising for ability (e.g. talent or intelligence)or intelligence)

Can change a young person’s mindset from Can change a young person’s mindset from growth to fixed.growth to fixed.

Encourages young people to create Encourages young people to create performance goalsperformance goals and display a and display a helpless helpless responseresponse when faced with challenges. when faced with challenges.

Encourages young people to Encourages young people to lielie about about scores.scores.

UnderminesUndermines motivation and willingness to motivation and willingness to take risks.take risks.

Praise: Praise: efforteffort

Praise for effortPraise for effort

Encourages people to adopt a growth Encourages people to adopt a growth mindset.mindset.

Encourages people to create learning Encourages people to create learning goals goals and display a mastery response and display a mastery response when faced when faced with setback.with setback.

Increases motivation and success.Increases motivation and success.

Praise is not a villainPraise is not a villain

Good feedback is importantGood feedback is important

Constructive criticism is necessary if we Constructive criticism is necessary if we want people to develop and learn.want people to develop and learn.

Praise is not a villain – praising for the Praise is not a villain – praising for the effort and the process will help the person effort and the process will help the person become more motivated and ultimately become more motivated and ultimately more resilient.more resilient.

FrontalLobe

Parietal Lobe

OccipitalLobe

TemporalLobe

FrontalLobe

Parietal Lobe

Occipital Lobe

TemporalLobe

The body in the brainThe body in the brain A homunculus is used to A homunculus is used to

describe the relative describe the relative amount of space our body amount of space our body parts occupy in the brain.parts occupy in the brain.

In a model of motor In a model of motor functions, some parts are functions, some parts are much bigger because we much bigger because we use them much more, or use them much more, or with more accuracy.with more accuracy.

The more we use a The more we use a part of our body, the part of our body, the more space our brain more space our brain needs to control or needs to control or interpret it.interpret it.

In fact, by learning the In fact, by learning the brain may have to brain may have to change the space it change the space it uses to account for uses to account for new abilities.new abilities.

The body in the brainThe body in the brain

People who play music People who play music have been found to have have been found to have auditory centres that are auditory centres that are BIGGER than normal. BIGGER than normal.

The ‘sound’ area of their The ‘sound’ area of their brain grew through brain grew through practising their music.practising their music.

Evidence from neuroscienceEvidence from neuroscience

Rats in a rich environment have heavier Rats in a rich environment have heavier brains, by 10%, than those in a boring brains, by 10%, than those in a boring environment.environment.

Taxi drivers have bigger areas which deal Taxi drivers have bigger areas which deal with 3D space – the hippocampus - than with 3D space – the hippocampus - than non-taxi drivers.non-taxi drivers.

Musicians have a larger auditory cortex.Musicians have a larger auditory cortex.

All of the areas of the brain All of the areas of the brain

……like sound, communication, problem-like sound, communication, problem-solving…solving…

are made of cells calledare made of cells called

NEURONSNEURONS

They transmit information all around the They transmit information all around the brain.brain.

Neurons pass information Neurons pass information through CONNECTIONS through CONNECTIONS with other neurons at with other neurons at

SYNAPSESSYNAPSES

Learning helps our neurons GROW.Learning helps our neurons GROW.

The more we learn, the more connections The more we learn, the more connections they make.they make.

People with large auditory areas in their brain People with large auditory areas in their brain grew lots more neuron connections in the grew lots more neuron connections in the

sound area through lots and lots of sound area through lots and lots of practice.practice.

Final proof? Babies aren’t Final proof? Babies aren’t stupid! They grow stupid! They grow

connections.connections.

The brain must develop billions of connections:

every green dot is a junction between one

nerve and another

Lasting changeLasting change Dweck suggests that we need to present Dweck suggests that we need to present

young people with information on the brain young people with information on the brain and its huge potential. Including how the and its huge potential. Including how the brain learns.brain learns.

Praise for strategies, effort and processes Praise for strategies, effort and processes rather than for intelligence or ability.rather than for intelligence or ability.

Positive stories provide people with role Positive stories provide people with role models of those individuals who have models of those individuals who have succeeded because of a growth mindset.succeeded because of a growth mindset.

Writing about your growth mindset Writing about your growth mindset experiences, in order to convince others, will experiences, in order to convince others, will deepen your own growth mindset.deepen your own growth mindset.

SummarySummary A growth mindset helps people to be A growth mindset helps people to be

motivated and to succeed.motivated and to succeed.

A growth mindset can be learnt.A growth mindset can be learnt.

We can foster a growth mindset in others by We can foster a growth mindset in others by the type of feedback we give and by the type of feedback we give and by teaching them about the brain’s huge teaching them about the brain’s huge potential.potential.

Role models give people evidence of the Role models give people evidence of the growth mindset in action.growth mindset in action.

The Centre would like to thank the The Centre would like to thank the Scottish Government for their Scottish Government for their support in helping to produce support in helping to produce

this resource.this resource.