Psychology · Woven into feedback and practice throughout a session or programme; a dedicated reflection takes 15-30 minutes.

Growth Mindset (Dweck)

Growth mindset describes the belief that abilities can be developed through effort, good strategies and help from others, in contrast to a fixed mindset that sees ability as innate. Dweck's research links these beliefs to how people respond to challenge, feedback and setbacks.

When to use Growth Mindset (Dweck)

When participants face a skill they fear or feel they are 'not good at', and when designing feedback and practice rounds.

How Growth Mindset (Dweck) works

Shape instructions, feedback language and reflection prompts so participants treat difficulty and mistakes as part of learning, and give them chances to revise their work.

Phases of Growth Mindset (Dweck)

  1. Surface beliefs: Invite participants to notice their assumptions about ability in the topic, for example with a short reflection on a skill they once thought they could not learn.
  2. Frame the challenge: Present difficult tasks as the point of learning, and say openly that struggle and mistakes are expected.
  3. Praise process, not traits: Give feedback on strategies, effort and choices rather than on talent. Avoid labels like 'natural' or 'gifted'.
  4. Learn from mistakes: Build in moments to analyse errors and try again, such as revision rounds or a second attempt after feedback.
  5. Connect effort to strategy: Make clear that more effort alone is not enough; help participants find better strategies and ask for help.

Key principles

  • Ability can be developed
  • Process-focused feedback
  • Mistakes as information
  • Effort plus strategy plus support

Best for

  • Skill-building with visible struggle
  • Leadership and coaching programmes
  • Education and onboarding
  • Feedback-intensive sessions

Considerations

  • Meta-analyses (Sisk et al., 2018; Macnamara & Burgoyne, 2023) find small average effects of mindset interventions on achievement, larger for lower-achieving or disadvantaged learners.
  • Dweck warns against a 'false growth mindset': praising effort alone without strategy or results.
  • Telling people to have a growth mindset does little; the environment, tasks and feedback must support it.

Attribution & sources

Developed by Carol S. Dweck, 2006

Primary source

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