‘Mindset’ refers to a set of beliefs that shapes how you make sense of the world, influences the way you think, feel and behave. The Mindset Theory (Dweck & Legget, 1988) suggests that people can have two mindsets or attitudes about intelligence:
Entity or Fixed Mindset: Here one considers intelligence to be fixed, assumes that talents, abilities and understanding are more-or-less fixed or unchangeable. A person with a fixed mindset believes that talents are innate and s/he is born with them – “you are the way you are”.
Incremental or Growth Mindset: Here one considers intelligence to be flexible, and changeable. It is assumed that talents, abilities and understanding can be cultivated, expanded and refined. In other words, the belief that you are a “work in progress”.
Now imagine, as a student, which of the two mindsets would make you more motivated to study for an exam or excel in class? You guessed right! A growth mindset. As an individual, because you believe that you can improve, you are more likely to expend time and effort on learning new things and investing in personal growth. Thus, your mindset influences your motivation, attitude, behaviour and performance. With a growth mindset you are more driven, more committed and put in more effort. All these are important qualities that help a person to succeed.
In fact, a person with a fixed mindset is likely to avoid challenges, give up more easily in the face of failure and feel dejected by negative feedback. In addition, such a person is constantly struggling to ‘prove himself/herself’ at school, at the job or in relationships. Since intelligence, personality and character are traits valued in our society, every situation for a person with a fixed mindset is full of constant self-evaluation – “Will I be able to do this or not?”, “Will I appear intelligent or stupid?”. On the other hand, a person with a growth mindset welcomes challenges and takes negative feedback constructively. Failure becomes a steppingstone to success as the person learns from it.
