Mindsets: Developing Talent Through a Growth Mindset Winning Scotland Foundation September 19, 2008

“I don’t divide the world into the weak and the strong, or the successes and the failures… I divide the world into the learners and nonlearners.” - Benjamin Barber

Mindsets Fixed Mindset: Intelligence/talent is a fixed trait …Myth of the “natural” Growth Mindset: Intelligence is a malleable quality; a potential that can be developed …Talent is a starting point Framework for praise studies

Mindsets Which mindset is correct? Which mindset is most popular? Do people hold the same mindsets across different areas? Are the mindsets related to people’s ability? Can mindsets be changed? Current theorists Researchers into creative contributions; creative genius Binet

How the Mindsets Work? The Mindset Rules

LOOK SMART OR TALENTED AT ALL COSTS Rule #1 Fixed Mindset: LOOK SMART OR TALENTED AT ALL COSTS Growth Mindset: LEARN, LEARN, LEARN

Times of Transition

Mindsets Looking Smart vs. Learning Fixed Mindset “The main thing I want when I do my school work is to show how good I am at it.” Growth Mindset “It’s much more important for me to learn things in my classes than it is to get the best grades.”

Where Does This Lead? Math Grades growth fixed

Pre-Med Study

Pre-Med Chemistry Grades

Hong Kong

University of Hong Kong

Who Chooses to Repair a Crucial Deficiency? Interest in English Course How the desire to look smart vs. learn plays itself out in real life.

Scott Forstall & The iPhone

Tiger Woods Youngest Masters winner Lowest score ever Took apart his game and restructured it.

Rule #2 Fixed: DON’T WORK TOO HARD Growth: WORK HARD, EFFORT IS KEY “To tell the truth, when I work hard at my school work it makes me feel like I’m not very smart.” Growth: WORK HARD, EFFORT IS KEY “The harder you work at something, the better you’ll be at it.”

High effort=low ability: Worst belief anyone can have This is why many gifted athletes fail

Effort Beliefs Predict Performance in College Soccer

Measures Athletic ability is ____% natural talent and ____% effort/practice Players were assigned 2 points for each goal scored and 1 point for each assist that resulted in a goal None of the participants were goalkeepers.

Correlation Between Effort Beliefs and Points Earned Belief in Effort Predicts Higher Performance Over the Season .55, .55

Rule #3 IN THE FACE OF SETBACKS… Fixed Mindset: CONCEAL MISTAKES OR DEFICIENCIES Growth Mindset: EMBRACE MISTAKES, CONFRONT DEFICIENCIES

Mistakes = Lack of Ability

After a failure… Fixed Mindset: Growth Mindset: “I’d spend less time on this subject from now on.” “I would try not to take this subject ever again.” “I would try to cheat on the next test.” Growth Mindset: “I would work harder in this class from now on.” “I would spend more time studying for the tests.”

Level of Strategies Examined REPAIRING SELF-ESTEEM Comparing Ourselves to Those Below Us or Above Us? Level of Strategies Examined Also see the impact of the desire to look/feel smart vs. learn after a blow to self-esteem. Butler: what is the true measure of the self: normative comparison vs. personal progress

Practicing Your Strength or Weakness Percentage Selecting Tutorial on the Topic They Failed Also see the impact of the desire to look/feel smart vs. learn after a blow to self-esteem. Butler: what is the true measure of the self: normative comparison vs. personal progress

CHRIS HOY IN 2005, HIS SPECIALTY WAS ELIMINATED FROM THE OLYMPICS; HE HAD TO REINVENT HIMSELF.

Chris Hoy Why he surpassed the “talented” kids “Maybe because they were so gifted and won so easily, they didn’t really have the desire to work hard when they had to, and they also didn’t like the feeling of losing when it happened.” From Orr & Kemp, “Be a Winner”

Deflecting the Blame Sergio Garcia John McEnroe Colin Montgomerie

COLIN MONTGOMERIE Putting is not a strong feature of his game. He is noted for his lack of focus, and quite often becomes distracted by seemingly very minor incidents. When not playing well, tantrums and blaming others.

Mindset and Flow Racing Car Drivers

Mindset Is Athletic Ability Fixed? 1. You have a certain level of athletic ability, and you cannot really do much to change that. 2. Your core athletic ability cannot really be changed. 3. You can learn new things, but you can't really change your basic athletic ability.

Mindset and Flow Growth Mindset Predicts More In-the-Zone Races .55, .55

Correlation Between Mindset and Flow Mindset Predicts Loss of Self-Consciousness .55, .55

Where Do Mindsets Come From? Messages We Send HOW TO APPRECIATE OTHERS’ SUCCESS SO AS TO CREATE A GROWTH MINDSET

Praise Sends A Message Intelligence Praise: “That’s a really good score. You must be smart at this.” Effort/Process Praise: “That’s a really good score. You must have tried really hard.”

Effects of Intelligence vs. Effort Praise Mindset: Fixed vs. Growth Goals: Looking smart vs. Learning After Difficult Trial: Motivation: Low vs. High Performance: Decreased vs. Increased Lose self-esteem Can’t tolerate setbacks, effort

Number of problems solved on Trial 1 (before failure) and Trial 3 (after failure).

Lying Students who misrepresented their scores Can’t admit flaws Type of Praise Given

College Coaches Asks… Where are the coachable athletes?

Can Mindsets Be Changed? How Intelligence (Talent) is Portrayed

Change in Math Grades Blackwell, Dweck, & Trzesniewski, 2007

Percent Identified as Increasing in Motivation

Brainology

Visit to Brain Lab

Mad Scientist

Brain Experiments

The Learning Brain

Have you changed your mind about anything? Yes … I imagine neurons making connections in my brain and I feel like I am learning something. (biggie) My favorite thing from Brainology is the neurons part where when u learn something there are connections and they keep growing. I always picture them when I’m in school (khadija)

On a personal level the belief in growth allows us to: Embrace learning. Welcome challenges, mistakes, and feedback Understand the role of effort in creating talent

At the team level, a growth mindset staff: Portrays skills as acquirable Values passion, effort, improvement (and teamwork), not just natural talent Presents staff as mentors vs. judges

Thank you!

ANDY MURRAY “When you’re playing against guys who are really consistent, you have to find three or four ways to win points, and not just with your serve,” says Murray of his multi-dimensional arsenal. Brother, Jamie, was the “natural.”

Changing Mindsets in Organizations (Peter Heslin & colleagues)

Before Workshop Fixed mindset managers don’t notice improvement--first impressions last Fixed mindset managers don’t mentor their employees as much--people can’t change Fixed mindset managers can’t take criticism Because of this…

Mindset Workshop for Managers Scientific article and video on how the brain grows with learning throughout life Exercises to instill a growth mindset

After After receiving a growth mindset workshop, managers showed greater: Openness to employee change Willingness to mentor and higher quality of mentoring Openness to critical feedback