Increasing Student Motivation
and Engagement
Using a Mindset Approach:
Rationale and Empirical Basis
David Valentiner
Northern Illinois University
Presentation Outline
• A Request
• Rationale and Empirical Basis
– Introduction to the theory
– Selective review of the evidence -- four studies
• Feedback
• Strategies for your curriculum
– Curriculum modules
– Shifting the paradigm
– Building your own curriculum
A Request
• I would like your help in identifying the most
important information to give to faculty
members about mindset interventions. As you
participate in this workshop, please make
notes of what you view as the most important
information. Try not to think about whether
the information is persuasive or convincing,
but focus on how to best explain the
information to future workshop participants.
Presentation Outline
• A Request
• Rationale and Empirical Basis
– Introduction to the theory
– Selective review of the evidence -- four studies
• Feedback
• Strategies for your curriculum
– Curriculum modules
– Shifting the paradigm
– Building your own curriculum
Introduction to the theory
• Intelligence Mindset Theory proposes that the
degree to which intelligence is viewed as
“fixed” versus “malleable” has important
consequences for academic achievement.
• The terms “growth” and “incremental” mean
are used interchangeably with “malleable.”
First Study
Blackwell, Trzesniewski, & Dweck
(2007)
• The sample of junior high students (N = 91) was
relatively diverse, low achieving, and low income.
• Participants were randomly assigned to an
experimental condition (n = 48) or a control condition
(n = 41).
• The experimental condition consisted of completing an
eight-session online course (see brainology.com).
• Three time points:
– spring sixth grade (Time 1)
– fall seventh grade (Time 2 – pre-intervention)
– spring seventh grade (Time 3 – post-intervention)
Second Study
Aronson, Fried, & Good (2002)
• College students (N = 79) were randomized
into three conditions:
– Malleable pen pal – “employed numerous attitude change
techniques designed to teach them, help them internalize, and make
cognitively available the notion that intelligence is expandable” (p. 116)
– Control pen pal
– No pen pal control
in subsequent semester, adjusted for SAT
Grade Point Average
4
3.5
3
2.5
(n = 16)
(n = 12)
(n = 14)
(n = 12)
(n = 11)
(n = 14)
2
Blacks *
Malleable Pen Pal
Control Pen Pal
Whites
No Pen Pal
Third Study
Mangels, Butterfield, Lamb,
Good, & Dweck (2006)
• 22 students that endorsed an entity theory view
and 25 that an endorsed incremental theory view
were selected from a group of 535
undergraduates.
• Participants were fitted for EEG assessment and
completed a tutorial in which they completed a
series of general knowledge questions.
• At the end of the session, participants completed
a surprise retest on the items that they had
answered incorrectly during the tutorial.
Continuous EEG assessment with a
QuickCap
Online Tutorial Procedure
General knowledge test question presented
Type in your best answer
Fixation crosshair presented (2.5 seconds)
Performance-relevant feedback presented
(1 second)
Performance interest
*
(high tone)
OR
*
(low tone)
Fixation crosshair presented (2.5 seconds)
Learning interest
Learning-relevant feedback presented
(1 second)
Correct answer presented
Results
• Behavior
– No differences in test scores between groups.
– On a surprise retest of questions answered incorrectly,
both groups corrected a majority of their errors, but
incremental theorists performed better than entity
theorists.
• Electrophysiology
– No differences during performance interest period.
– Incremental theorists had sustained attention during
the learning interest period, but entity theorists did
not.
Fourth Study
Good, Aronson, & Inzlicht (2002)
• 138 seventh-grade students enrolled in a
computer skills class (emailing, web page design,
etc.), supplemented by a college student mentor
(n = 25).
• Randomly assigned to create a web page
conveying information about:
–
–
–
–
Incremental theory condition
Attribution condition
Combination (incremental and attribution) condition
Anti-drug control condition
Mindset Theory and Intelligence
• In the first study, “Brainology” changes
intelligence mindset and results in about a 1/3
grade point change in test scores for seventh
graders
• In the second study, the Malleable Pen Pal
condition increased college grades about 1/4
of a grade point.
Mindset Theory and Intelligence
• Mindset shifts attention from self to task, and
from self-worth to learning.
• Mindset interventions are especially effective
for stigmatized groups – they appear to
substantially close the achievement gap.
References
• Aronson, J., Fried, C.B., & Good, C. (2002). Reducing the effects of
stereotype threat on African American college students by shaping
theories of intelligence. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 113125.
• Blackwell, L.S., Trzesniewski, K.H., & Dweck, C.S. (2007). Implicit theories
of intelligence predict academic achievement acress an adolescent
transition: A longitudinal study and intervention. Child Development, 78,
246-263.
• Good, C., Aronson, J., & Inzlicht, M. (2003). Improving adolescents’
standardized test performance: An intervention to reduce the effects of
stereotype threat. Applied Developmental Psychology, 24, 645-662.
• Mangels, J.A., Butterfield, B., Lamb, J., Good, C., & Dweck, C.S. (2006).
Why do beliefs about intelligence influence success? A social cognitive
neuroscience model. Social Cognitive & Affective Neuroscience, 1, 75-86.
Presentation Outline
• A Request
• Rationale and Empirical Basis
– Introduction to the theory
– Selective review of the evidence -- four studies
• Feedback
• Strategies for your curriculum
– Curriculum modules
– Shifting the paradigm
– Building your own curriculum
A Request
I would like your help in identifying the most
important information to give to faculty
members about mindset interventions. As you
participate in this workshop, please make
notes of what you view as the most important
information. Try not to think about whether
the information is persuasive or convincing,
but focus on how to best explain the
information to future workshop participants.
Feedback
On a piece of paper, please write in your own
words the three most important things that a
faculty member considering using a mindset
intervention will need to know. Try not to
think about whether the data is convincing or
persuasive -- your help is needed to explain to
future workshop participants why a mindset
approach will be effective.