Growth Mindset vs Fixed Mindset

The ideas of Growth Mindset and Fixed Mindset stem from the research of the social and developmental psychologist Carol Dweck.

These relate to the beliefs one holds about their own ability to perform and to improve upon their own performance.

Someone who holds a fixed mindset believes their own ability is set from birth. They hold fixed beliefs such as “I'm smart”, “I'm dumb”, “that's not for me”, so they tend to avoid challenging situations, given the belief that experience a failure might uncover some inherent inadequancy or incapability.

On the other hand, soemone who holds a growth mindset, believes their own ability can be improved through effort. Thus, an instance of poor performance does not define their full potential, but only their ability at the time.

Resource

• Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, by Carol Dweck.