Kristin Christoffersen Essays - Carol Dweck, Psychology, Mindset

Kristin Christoffersen August 15,17 English II Honors/ Pd.1 Martz, B. A growth mindset is getting something wrong or making a tiny mistake, accepting defeat, using that as a chance to expand their knowledge, and trying new things to push themselves. A fixed mindset is knowing what one can and cannot do. Someone with a fixed mindset never pushes themselves in fear of making a mistake. When one makes a mistake, they give up and go back to what is already known that they can succeed at. Typically, a fixed mindset is what people prefer to have because they don't like to step out of their comfort zone. Often, people view a growth mindset as unstable and a fear of the unknown leads to fear of failure. Most people think they have a fixed mindset, however, only about 40% of the US population have this thought process. Some do not realize they have a growth mindset until questioned about it. When presented with a challenge someone with a fixed mindset would simply talk themselves down while a person with a growth mindset would try to raise themselve s up. Take singing for example, "Some people are born to sing- I'm not one of them," that is a prime example of something a fixed mindset person would say. Someone with a growth mindset would say, "I didn't start with any singing talent- I'd have to learn it all." Another example would be when dealing with an argument, "When we're arguing, I feel like you don't listen to me," this is something a fixed mindset person would say. A growth mindset person, however, would simply say "In past arguments, I've felt like you didn't listen to me." Although some people believe there is not a big difference, it all just depends on how one looks at it. Citations: http://malcolmocean.com/2014/07/growth-mindset-reframing/ www.learning-knowledge.com/self-theories.html