Welcome to an engaging exploration of the growth mindset, a concept that can transform how we perceive our abilities and potential. I’m Andrew Huberman, a professor at Stanford School of Medicine, and today, we’re diving into how adopting a growth mindset can enhance your learning and development.
A growth mindset is the belief that our abilities and intelligence can be developed with effort and perseverance. This mindset encourages us to ask ourselves some reflective questions:
These questions help us understand our self-perceptions and the origins of these beliefs. Are they based on feedback from others, like parents or teachers, or are they self-imposed limitations?
Research by Dr. Carol Dweck has shown that the type of feedback we receive significantly influences our mindset. Feedback that focuses on effort rather than inherent intelligence can lead to better performance and motivation. For instance, when children are praised for their effort, they are more likely to embrace challenges and persist through difficulties.
In a study involving over 100 children, those who received praise for their intelligence often chose easier tasks to maintain their “smart” label. Conversely, children praised for their effort were more willing to tackle challenging problems, which fostered learning and growth. This highlights the importance of encouraging effort over fixed traits.
Moreover, children praised for intelligence sometimes exaggerated their success, while those praised for effort reported their performance more accurately. This suggests that focusing on effort can lead to a more honest self-assessment and a willingness to improve.
As you reflect on your experiences, consider shifting your focus from performance-based thoughts to effort-based thoughts. This change can cultivate a growth mindset, opening up new opportunities for personal and academic growth.
Thank you for joining this insightful discussion on the growth mindset. For more on mental health, physical health, and performance, explore The Huberman Lab podcast available on all platforms. Connect with us on Instagram and Twitter for science-based tools and insights, and visit hubermanlab.com for more resources.
Take some time to write a reflective journal entry about your own experiences with a fixed or growth mindset. Consider the questions posed in the article: What have you been told you’re good or not good at? How have these perceptions influenced your actions and decisions? Reflect on how adopting a growth mindset could change your approach to challenges.
Participate in a group discussion with your peers about the role of feedback in shaping mindsets. Share personal experiences where feedback influenced your motivation and performance. Discuss strategies for giving and receiving feedback that encourages a growth mindset.
Analyze a case study of a well-known individual who exemplifies a growth mindset. Identify the challenges they faced and how they overcame them through perseverance and effort. Present your findings to the class, highlighting key lessons that can be applied to your own life.
Attend a workshop focused on developing a growth mindset. Engage in activities designed to challenge your current beliefs about intelligence and ability. Practice techniques for shifting from a fixed to a growth mindset, and set personal goals for applying these techniques in your academic and personal life.
Engage in a role-playing exercise where you practice giving and receiving feedback that promotes a growth mindset. Work in pairs to simulate scenarios where feedback is given based on effort rather than inherent ability. Reflect on the experience and discuss how this type of feedback can be integrated into your daily interactions.
**Sanitized Transcript:**
[Music] Welcome to another episode of After Skool. I’m Andrew Huberman, a professor of neurobiology and ophthalmology at Stanford School of Medicine and the host of The Huberman Lab podcast.
Today, I want to discuss the concept of a growth mindset, which is the belief that we can improve our abilities and that they are not fixed. The beauty of a growth mindset is that it encourages us to reflect on some important questions. I highly recommend you ask yourself these questions:
1. What have I been told I’m really good at?
2. What have I been told I’m not good at?
3. What have I told myself I’m good at?
4. What have I told myself I’m not good at?
Additionally, consider what you are good at and why that might be. Did you apply yourself for many years, or did it come naturally? It’s also important to reflect on why you may not be good at certain things. Is it because you never tried, or did you try and experience early failures?
Asking these questions helps you understand not just your abilities but also the origins of the messages you’ve received about your abilities. Did these messages come from external sources like parents, coaches, or teachers? Or did you decide on your own that you weren’t good at something despite positive feedback?
Next, I want to share research from Dr. Carol Dweck’s laboratory, which laid the foundation for the growth mindset concept. This research shows that the type of feedback we receive—whether it’s tied to our identity (like being labeled “smart” or “talented”) or based on effort—can lead us down very different paths in terms of performance.
The key takeaway from this research is that feedback linked to intelligence can undermine motivation and performance. For example, when children receive praise for their intelligence, they may choose easier tasks to maintain that praise, whereas those praised for their effort are more likely to take on challenges that help them learn and grow.
In a study involving over 100 children, those who received intelligence-based feedback tended to select problems they knew they could solve, while those who received effort-based feedback were more inclined to tackle harder problems. This indicates that effort praise encourages persistence and a willingness to face challenges, leading to better performance overall.
Moreover, children who received intelligence praise often misrepresented their performance in subsequent tasks, tending to exaggerate their success. In contrast, those who received effort praise accurately reported their performance.
This research emphasizes the importance of focusing on effort rather than fixed traits when providing feedback, especially in educational and developmental contexts.
As you reflect on your own experiences, consider shifting your internal narrative from performance-based thoughts to effort-based thoughts. This shift can foster a growth mindset and open up opportunities for improvement.
Thank you for joining this special episode of After Skool. If you’d like to learn more about mental health, physical health, and performance, check out The Huberman Lab podcast available on all platforms. You can also find us on Instagram and Twitter, where I share science-based tools and insights. Visit hubermanlab.com for links to our social media and podcast episodes.
Growth – The process of developing or maturing physically, mentally, or emotionally. – In psychology, personal growth often involves overcoming challenges and learning from experiences to improve one’s mental health.
Mindset – A set of beliefs or attitudes held by someone that influences their behavior and outlook. – Adopting a growth mindset can significantly enhance a student’s ability to learn and adapt to new educational challenges.
Feedback – Information provided regarding aspects of one’s performance or understanding, used as a basis for improvement. – Constructive feedback from professors can help students refine their research skills and academic writing.
Effort – The use of physical or mental energy to achieve a goal or complete a task. – In educational psychology, effort is often emphasized as a key factor in achieving academic success.
Intelligence – The ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills. – The debate over whether intelligence is fixed or malleable continues to influence educational strategies and teaching methods.
Performance – The execution of a task or action, often measured against a standard. – Students’ performance in exams can be improved by effective study habits and time management skills.
Learning – The acquisition of knowledge or skills through study, experience, or teaching. – Active learning techniques, such as group discussions and problem-solving activities, can enhance student engagement and understanding.
Development – The process of growth or improvement, particularly in skills, knowledge, or personal attributes. – Cognitive development in children is a major area of study in educational psychology, focusing on how thinking and reasoning evolve over time.
Challenges – Situations that require effort and determination to overcome, often seen as opportunities for growth. – Facing academic challenges can foster resilience and adaptability in university students.
Self-assessment – The process of evaluating one’s own abilities, performance, and understanding. – Self-assessment encourages students to reflect on their learning and identify areas for improvement.
