Chandra Delone
EDLD 590
Discussion 4 “The Effects of Praise on Mindsets” by Carol Dweck

How did 5th graders’ respond to receiving one or the other of these types of praise?

After completing the task, the students respond by either feeling more confident or feeling less confident. Those students who received praise for their intelligence responded by opting to continue doing the problems that were less difficult. The students that were praised for their effort choose to challenge themselves with the more difficult problems.

Why might praising innate ability promote a fixed mindset while praising effort promote a growth mindset?

When praising for innate ability students felt they were not smart or not good at the task. Their minds were fixed on the tasks that were comfortable and less challenging. They feel able to achieve what is familiar or safe. According to Dweck, most people who have fixed mindsets avoid challenging situations when given the choice because they are very concerned about failing. From the perspective of a fixed mindset, failure indicates a lack of ability, and therefore a lack of capability or intelligence. Those who believe their intelligence is fixed are more likely to give up. Praising innate ability reinforces the fixed mindset and the belief that people are born either with a certain skills or without them. Praise that reinforces this belief undermines students’ motivation and future learning, leading them to avoid more challenging tasks to protect themselves from failure.

Praising for effort promotes a growth mindset because students feel they can become smarter. Students feel smart when working on difficult tasks and are making progress. Dweck believes people who have a growth mindset view struggle or failure as a natural part of the learning process and an opportunity to improve. Mindset can impact all areas of a person’s life, from academic success to personal and professional choices. Students with a growth mindset are more likely to continue to persist when they struggle. Praising effort instead of intelligence reinforces the belief that success is developed through persistent effort. Even when a student fails at a task, this type of feedback indicates that struggle and failure are normal, and that effort is a crucial part of eventual success.