Zingers #11: Carol Dweck - Fixed versus Growth Mindset

[David Zinger]

Today, Keith's class made me think of Carol Dweck's work on the fixed versus growth mindset. A good improvisor or a good learner lives the growth mindset. Carol Dweck is an intriguing psychologist who gave an interesting overview of a mindset that can paralyze an improvisor (please fix me).

Please take a minute to look at the best one page summary I have ever seen of this view of mindsets.

Click this link to see the one page PDF of the mindsets: dweck mindset.pdf

Now, make up your mind!

[Ann Feehan]

Ran across a newspaper clipping from the 12/30/07 S.F. Chronicle that I saved that mentions Dweck's work. The article is about the pursuit of happiness and teaching life skills to children. Also mentions the Greater Good Science Center in Berkeley.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/12/30/CM95TK0I2.DTL&hw=dweck&sn=004&sc=499

[Ann Feehan]

That one page summary is great. A nice reminder that when I see something as an obstacle that it means I am in the midst of learning.

Here's what I posted about the book on the "old" egroup.

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success (Hardcover)
by Carol Dweck (Professor in psychology at Stanford University)

Carol Dweck describes the behavior that results from having a fixed mindset or a growth mindset in many situations (school, business, relationships, self changes). A fixed mindset is one where you believe your talents and abilities are fixed (e.g. intelligence, musical,artistic or athletic abilities)Since this is "fixed", people avoid having situations where they may fail (and disprove their "fixed" quantity of talent) as well as believing that you don't have to exert effort to learn new skills if your talent is inherent.

A growth mindset, on the other hand, is one in which failure is much less of a statement of talent and skills can be learned. People can have both fixed and growth mindsets about themselves or a particular
issue. And, these mindsets can be "cued" by exercises, reminders, and other's behavior.

Dweck talks about a group process where there were 30 three-person groups with either those with a "fixed mindset" or a "growth mindset". Not only did the growth mindset groups outperform the fixed-minset
groups, the difference became larger the longer the groups worked. They were able to profit from their mistakes and from feedback from each other. There was also more likelihood of more honest opinions and
expressed disagreements in the growth-mindest groups. "For the fixed-mindest groups - with their concern about who was smart or dumb or their anxiety about disapproval for their ideas - that open, productive
discussion did not happen." (page 134)

It seems to me that by improv embracing an atmosphere of experimentation and comfort with "failure' (the circus bow), improv is helping participants expand or change their fixed-mindsets about themselves.

There's quite a bit of research referenced in the book over a number of different fields. The last chapter of the book talks about "Changing Mindsets" and addresses denial, entitlement, willpower and self
control as limiting beliefs, maintaining change, the need for follow through precocious children and how parents can support them to "keep learning".

Hope other people enjoy this book, too.