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Free essays on fixed mindset versus growth mindset
Essay on fixed mindset versus growth mindset
Essay on fixed mindset versus growth mindset
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The novel, Mindset, by Carol Dweck, demonstrates how influential a change in mindset can be. By examining numerous circumstances that lead individuals towards success or failure, Dweck sees the different mindsets from those who encounter success or failure. Her research shows that people with the growth mindset realize that their intelligence can be developed while people with the fixed mindset believe that their intelligence is stagnant. She stresses the importance of having a growth mindset by addressing her argument from different standpoints and comparing it to the fixed mindset. Throughout the novel, Dweck uses a wide range of examples to strengthen her argument. Her examples prove a common argument: ability can be fostered …show more content…
She states that the students, “completely took charge of their learning and motivation” (p. 61). As a result of their desire to learn and motivation to continue, the students with the growth mindset received higher grades than those with the fixed mindset. Instead of backing down in the face of challenges, students with the growth mindset embraced difficulties and discovered methods to study and strive. Her research backs up her argument and shows that there is no such thing as “natural talent” but rather talent that is built. She proves that intelligence is not stagnated and can be developed through training. She sees that people are not reaching their full potential because they are hiding from challenges in order to protect their confidence. With this mindset, people are incapable of experiencing new things and building their abilities. She has drawn a consistent pattern between those who are constantly praised and believed to be infallible and those who always find something to improve on. This pattern is enforced through the analysis of individuals such as Babe Ruth. Dweck points out the growth mindset Babe Ruth had caused him to reach his success. Even when he was not at a …show more content…
She is trying to solve the problem with people striving to prove their abilities instead of growing them. She is trying to push her readers to change to a growth mindset. Dweck wants to change the mindset that people have grown accustomed to and live their life in. She has observed a pattern in which people of all professions with the fixed mindset find someone or something to blame for their own responsibilities. She is preaching the idea of realizing that your own motivation and abilities is in your own hands and is not controlled by talent. By looking for potential to develop, people are able to improve their abilities drastically. She shows that the growth mindset allows people to maintain their success. A key idea that she shares as the source of the fixed mindset is the fear of being judged. She wants her readers to realize that intelligence is something that can be cultivated and strengthened. In addition, she also wants the reader to realize that one must take responsibility for ones actions instead of pushing the blame towards others. Instead of moving past and learning from their mistakes, Dweck has seen that people with the fixed mindset dwell on their mistakes and always find someone to blame for the bad events in their life. The negative consequences of doing so are shown in John McEnroe's tennis
In Carol Dweck’s article titled, “Brainology” Dweck discusses the different mindsets that students have about intelligence. Some where taught that each person had a set amount of intelligence, while others were trained that intelligence is something they could develop and increase over time. in Dweck’s article she writes, “ It is a belief that intelligence can be developed that opens students to a love of learning, a belief in the power of effort and constrictive, determined reactions to setbacks” (Dweck pg. 2). Dweck is talking about a growth mind-set in which is how students perceive the growth of knowledge and that no one person is born with a certain amount of intelligence, it too can be trained and developed over time. By introducing Dweck’s ideas of a growth mind-set to students, students will enjoy learning and be less devastated by setbacks, because they know they can develop intelligence. Dweck also writes that students with a growth mind-set, “believe that intelligence is something that can be cultivated through effort and education. They
It was not until I read Carol S. Dweck’s “Brainology” that I realized I had a fixed mindset. I care more about getting a 4.0 than actually understanding what I am being taught and I also hate struggling. These habits are part of having a fixed mindset. It was after reading this article that I discovered I could change my mindset and be successful. Having a fixed mindset means that you believe that you and others only have a certain amount of intelligence. A growth mindset on the other hand, is believing that everyone has the ability to reach a higher level of intelligence through effort and hardwork.
“There is no elevator to success, you have to take the stairs,” was said by motivational speaker and American author Zig Ziglar. This relates to Carol S. Dweck’s article “Brainology” and Sherman Alexie’s essay “Superman and Me.” Ziglar, Dweck, and Alexie all feel that it isn’t easy for someone to become successful. It takes hard work, perseverance, and the want to learn and grow. In Dweck’s article, she stated that someone with a growth mindset would become more successful and knowledgeable than someone with a fixed mindset, which was demonstrated by Alexie in his essay, and by a personal experience of my own.
People with growth mind-sets often believe that one can succeed simply by trying and having the motivation to do so. On the other hand, those with fixed mind-sets believe they are either good or bad at something, while attempting something for the first time. If one can easily do math while another can’t, the one who can’t accepts it and doesn’t feel the need to try succeeding further because they’re just not good at it in the first place.
In Carol Dweck’s “Brainology” the article explains how our brain is always being altered by our experiences and knowledge during our lifespan. For this Dweck conducted a research in what students believe about their own brain and their thoughts in their intelligence. They were questioned, if intelligence was something fixed or if it could grow and change; and how this affected their motivation, learning, and academic achievements. The response to it came with different points of views, beliefs, or mindset in which created different behavior and learning tendencies. These two mindsets are call fixed and growth mindsets. In a fixed mindset, the individual believes that intelligence is something already obtain and that is it. They worry if they
As far as I could remember I was never really any good at school. I couldn’t concentrate on things for no more than 5 minutes at a time I would either get discouraged or find it too easy and just give up. An author by the name of Carol Dweck wrote an article called “Brainology” in it Dweck describes that there are two types of mindsets fixed and growth. Those who are afraid to fail so they never try anything new are ones with a fixed mindset and the growth mindset are those who are not afraid to fail and find a new challenge an opportunity to learn something new. I guess you can say that I had a bit of a fixed mindset growing up I was always too scared to look stupid that I didn’t want to fail because I didn’t want to disappoint my siblings
The key difference between Walter Isaacson’s, author of “The Genius of Jobs”, and Carol Dweck’s, author of “The Secret to Raising Smart Kids”, perspective of intelligence lies in their thought of inherent ability; Isaacson believes that intelligence is a natural gift that can be expanded upon, but Dweck would respond by agreeing to a degree but believing that the beauty of intelligence lies in that expansion.
Individuals view and react differently to situations and challenges in life, the direct effect of having a Fixed mindset or a Growth mindset will coordinate our response . The Fixed mindset is believing our qualities are unchangeable and that the genes we are born with are all that can accomplish, people with the Fixed mindset view a situation or challenge as a negative and as a direct measure of their competence and worth.
Dweck’s view contradicts Isaacson’s because Isaacson believes in intelligence being an innate quality. Dweck however, defines intelligence as how individuals continue to push and persevere despite the several setbacks they encounter. Dweck’s studies show two types of mindsets; growth and fixed. Isaacson’s article leans more towards the fixed mindset rather than to the growth, or ideal mindset. Dweck also focuses more on the process than the final result as she holds learning and hard work in higher regard than the end result.
During Dweck’s research, her study shows that there are two different beliefs in mind-set (self theory): fixed mind-set and growth mind-set. Dweck states that a fixed mind-set is “static trait” in other words gifted, where as growth mind-set is intelligence that could be developed throughout the years. When a student is in grade school, it is truly difficult if a teacher does not believe in her students. After designing workshops for both teachers and students, it taught the students how to use their brain in many different ways. To find the answers Dweck followed seventh graders in New York, where she monitored the grades of the students to see whether they would improve or not. In the “Mind-Sets and Equitable Education,” it states that the growth mind-set children believe in themselves, whereas fixed mind-set try to look smart and make perfection. “The Matthew Effect” plays a huge role in the growth and fixed mind-set, by the Canadian athletes having to push themselves to get a higher level and excel creating
"Those with growth mindsets reported that, after a setback in school, they would simply study more or study differently the next time" (Dweck 2) . Students in a growth mindset understand that failures are temporary setbacks. That means they must be an effort in the learning process more vigorously. Dweck shows, " Those with fixed mindsets were more likely to say that they would feel dumb, study less the next time, and seriously consider cheating "(Dweck2). By contrast, students with a fixed mindset believe strongly in innate ability. Those get a failure, they would simply think they are not smart enough ,all their efforts has been wasted. As a result, that creates a desire to give up rather than trying
In the article, Dweck discusses a few experimental studies, she was a part of, in the first experiment she indicates her hypothesis: students with a fixed mindset were more likely to cheat or give up. Independent variable: a group of students given a test in a new subject. Dependent Variable: a group of students given a test in a subject they enjoy. They found that those with a fixed mindset were more likely to say that if they did poorly on a test, even if it were in a new course, they would most likely study less or even cheat on the next test. This example, provides great proof of Dweck’s definition of a fixed mindset.
Move 3: Instead of determining intelligence as a process of learning and building upon past experiences to deal with strenuous situations, intelligence’s definition requires the addition of the effects of the confidently boundless mindset of an individual. Carol Dweck, a Stanford University Professor of Psychology, represented, through an examined study, that young individuals who prefer and hold a positive growth mindset, regardless of their family’s income, became much more successful academically in her article “The Remarkable Reach of Growth and Mind-Sets.” In her study, Dweck discovered that in every level of income, children who retained a positive growth mindset also experienced more success in academics compared to children who retained
Growth mindset is a concept coined and studied by Stanford University psychologist Carolyn Dweck, Ph.D. that refers to a person’s belief in his or her own ability to learn and develop skills, regardless of natural ability, through determination and hard work. Having a growth mindset is not an all or nothing frame of mind, it falls on a continuum that can vary day to day and per area of ability. The other side of the continuum is a “fixed mindset,” which refers to a person’s belief that his or her abilities are static, set by natural ability and unaffected by any effort put forth by the individual.
I do believe that I have experienced both mindsets, but a fixed mindset has been more dominant in my life. I realized that I experienced a growth mindset during my DMV permit test. I actually failed my first try at it because I was told that it was just common sense and I didn’t feel like I needed to study. Then I failed, and it encouraged me to actually read the handbook and study. Surprisingly, I wasn’t upset after failing my first attempt. Instead, it actually made me realize that I should study. I would love to have experienced a growth mindset throughout my life, but unfortunately I know I grew up with a fixed mindset. Growing up I remember my parents telling me how smart I am every time I received good grades, and according to the article written by Carol Dweck, that isn’t the best way