Question

Define fixed mindsets about intelligence (discussed in the text as an entity approach to intelligence) and growth mindsets about intelligence (discussed in the text as an incremental approach to intelligence) and then discuss how each mindset would affect: a) learning goals and b) how one responds to negative academic feedback (such as poor grades).

Answer 1

Fixed mindsets about intelligence means a fixed mindset towards the challenges given by the life. This is generally known to be a entity approach to intelligence. The people with fixed mindset or entity therapists tend to move away from the challenges be it academic , professional or life. They tend to have a thought that the intelligence and abilities are fixed to each individual and cannot be improved in any ways. Certain features of these people are:-

• they give up easily - they feel like they cannot overcome the obstacle as it requires certain amount of intelligence which they believe that they doesn't posses. So they tend to easily giveup without even taking efforts.
• Do not take efforts- They find efforts are useless as they feel like those efforts are not worth taking.They already believed that they cannot do certain duties assigned to them and do not take efforts even to try it.
• Ignores criticism- Criticism are always useful if we take it in positive manner. But these kind of people are not welcomed to criticism as they ignore and never tend to improve themselves.

As a result they have a fixed view about the world and a fixed view about their life and try to find satisfaction in what they are as they do not tend to improve. But fixed minded people easily get threatened by the success of others.

Growth mindset is the exact opposite of the fixed mindset. These types of people have an incremental approach to the intelligence. These people love challenges and see it as a way to success. Features of these people are:-

• Never give up- They always persist setback.They never give up and keep on trying until they get there.They always believe that hardworking can make things happen.
• Always take efforts- For them efforts a stepping stones to success. They doesn't submiss themselves by saying that they doesn't posses certain amount of intelligence to attain the goal.
• Accept criticism - The accept the negative feedback and try to work on it.

As a result these people are open to learning which always enhances their growth and improves their mental health towards failure.They always tend to learn from failures.

How the mindset will effect

a)Learning goals- The leaning goals in terms of fixed mindset will be less .As they are not opening to learning new things and improve.They normally tend to survive with the skills they already possess and they believe that no matter how much ever you learn your intelligence remains the same whereas growth mindset will have higher learning goals. They never stop themselves to the skills they already posses but will keep hardworking to improve and are always open to learning.

b)How one responds to negative academic feedback (such as poor grades) - The fixed mind people will blame themselves for the failure.They beilve that they lack certain ability to attain good grades and always end up blaming their Intelligence and abilities whereas growth mindsets will only blame their effots.They believe that their efforts was not upto mark which resulted in bad grades.So next time the put more efforts and implement different strategies to improve themselves.