Audience
researchers
Keywords
mind-set, implicit theories, education, academic achievement, open data
Author(s)
Sisk, V. F. et al.
Date
2018
Abstract
Mind-sets (aka implicit theories) are beliefs about the nature of human attributes (e.g., intelligence). The theory
holds that individuals with growth mind-sets (beliefs that attributes are malleable with effort) enjoy many positive
outcomes—including higher academic achievement—while their peers who have fixed mind-sets experience negative
outcomes. Given this relationship, interventions designed to increase students’ growth mind-sets—thereby increasing
their academic achievement—have been implemented in schools around the world. In our first meta-analysis (k =
273, N = 365,915), we examined the strength of the relationship between mind-set and academic achievement and
potential moderating factors. In our second meta-analysis (k = 43, N = 57,155), we examined the effectiveness of mindset
interventions on academic achievement and potential moderating factors. Overall effects were weak for both metaanalyses.
However, some results supported specific tenets of the theory, namely, that students with low socioeconomic
status or who are academically at risk might benefit from mind-set interventions.