Mindset:

The Psychology of Learning and Achievement

Born SMART….?

• Are we born smart or stupid?

• Is intelligence fixed from birth?

• Do we have ‘built-in’ talents as a baby?

• Or… do talents, abilities and intelligence itself grow from experience??

At birth, we can’t WALK or TALK

These abilities don’t pop up overnight….

….. they DEVELOP as we LEARN!!

Importance of development

Good at maths?

Good at acting?

Good at science?

Good at music?

So, are we born…So, are we born…

Was Einstein born a genius?

What can we learn about learningfrom animals?

Ratty intellect…

BORING

• Nothing to do in the cage but eat and sleep

– No stimulation

EXCITING

• Cage had opportunities for rats to play and interact

– Lots of stimulation

Lab rats were placed in 2 different environments:Lab rats were placed in 2 different environments:

After a while, the stimulated rats were found to be smarter than the boring rats.

Their brains were even HEAVIER than the boring rats.

Rat results

What do you think?

Are our abilities determined from birth?

People have increased their IQ by 30 POINTS

With the right mindset people can achieve more than an IQ test might reveal.

Two beliefs about intelligence

Fixed mindset

Believes:Intelligence is CARVED IN

STONE

Scores in a test MEASURE POTENTIAL

Intelligent people shouldn’t have to WORK HARD

Failure reflects a LACK of INTELLIGENCE

Growth mindsetGrowth mindset

Believes:Intelligence is MALLEABLE

Learning requires HARD WORK and EFFORT

ALL individuals CAN LEARN and improve

We CANNOT MEASURE a person’s POTENTIAL

Thinking about mindset

• OBSERVE the mindset you adopt

• You can CHOOSE to adopt a growth mindset

• When you meet challenges REMIND yourself about the growth mindset

• The brain weighs 1,300 – 1,400 grams

• It is made up of 100 Billion Neurons

• Forming different areas called Lobes

Facts about the brain…

• The more we use a part of our body, the more space our brain needs to control or interpret it.

• In fact, by learning the brain may have to change the space it uses to account for new abilities.

Brain space…

• People who play music have been found to have auditory centres that are BIGGER than normal.

• The ‘sound’ area of their brain grew through practising their music.

Sound centre

All of the areas of the brain… like sound, communication, problem-solving… are made of cells called NEURONS

They transmit information all around the brain.

NeuronsNeurons

Neurons pass information through Neurons pass information through CONNECTIONS with other neurons at CONNECTIONS with other neurons at

SYNAPSESSYNAPSES

Learning helps our neurons GROW. The more we learn, the more

connections they make.

…through lots and lots of practice.

People with large auditory areas in their brain grew lots more neuron

connections in the sound area…

What about your brain?

What areas do you think are bigger in your brain than in other people’s?

What areas would you like to get even bigger and stronger?

‘Fail your way to success’

He went on to win the tour de France6 times.

Lance ArmstrongLance Armstrong came came lastlast in his in his first professional race…first professional race…

"he lacked imagination and had no good ideas”

Walt Disney was fired by a newspaper editor because…

Different ways people view failure

Some people view it as aSome people view it as alearning opportunity.learning opportunity. They They valuevalue learning. learning.

While others view it asWhile others view it asconfirmation that they are confirmation that they are not smart.not smart.

Why do people have different views of failure? Because they have different goals….

• Some people create learning goals.

• Others create performance goals.

a test, a sport, a drawing –

- What goal did you have?

- Did you want to show a teacher how clever you were ?

- Was it a performance goal?

- What would you do next time this happens?

Think of a time when you didn’t Think of a time when you didn’t enjoy doing something…enjoy doing something…

Write down the benefits of

having learning goals

How people cope with

failure

Response to failure

SOME PEOPLE…SOME PEOPLE…

BLAME BLAME themselves,themselves,

Feel Feel DEPRESSEDDEPRESSED and and

GIVE UPGIVE UP trying trying

OTHERS…OTHERS…

Don’t think that they are Don’t think that they are failing, so failing, so BLAME NO ONE BLAME NO ONE

KEEP GOING KEEP GOING andand

RemainRemain HOPEFUL HOPEFUL that that they will get therethey will get there

Helpless response

• Unmotivated• Lack of perseverance• Decreased enjoyment• Depressed• Anxious• Responsible for the

setback• Disengaged and avoid

getting involved with studying

Mastery response

• View setback as a challenge

• Try harder• Look for other ways

to do things• Factor in many

different points• Engage with the

problem?

50/50

People display one or the other response. In some areas they may react with a mastery response

and in others a helpless response.

Brain imaging and response to failure

• People with a fixed mindset pay attention to how they feel (i.e. stressed, anxious).

• Those feelings then get in the way of learning.

Write down on a piece of paper 3 benefits of displaying a

‘mastery response’

rather than a ‘helpless response’ when confronted with failure

Stick these on the wall

Looking at these benefits,think about how this applies to your

life.

Do you view failure as an opportunity to learn and improve?

Michael Jordan’s coach said that there were many more talented people than him….

What made Jordan special?Do you agree that he failed his way to success?

• because they are hard?

• to avoid failing?

Do you avoid or give up on Do you avoid or give up on certain tasks…certain tasks…

think about what you can

learn

Next time you get feedback or Next time you get feedback or marks that you didn’t want…marks that you didn’t want…

What do you believe about effort?

Do you believe that with hard work and effort you can help you to improve?

or Do you believe that putting effort in only shows

that you were not good at it in the first place?

Do you think of this as someone with extraordinary abilities who achieved things

with little effort?

Think about your hero…Think about your hero…

Find out the tremendous effort that went into their accomplishments

and admire them even more.

Now go and find out the Now go and find out the truth!truth!

Mindset tips

• Try out new strategies• Find learning information in failure• Remember marks do not show your potential -

they only show how you are doing right NOW.• If you are having difficulties finding new

strategies or learning information ask someone who could help you.

Mindset and success

Two Mindsets recap:Fixed mindset• Belief that ability is

fixed• People are born

smart/sporty etc• Depressed after

failure• Put in less effort• Don’t try new

strategies

Growth mindset• Belief that people can

grow and develop• See failure/setback as

a learning opportunity• Put in effort and

persist• Try alternative routes

to success

Now put the paper in a pile on your table

Write down 3 things you know Write down 3 things you know about a about a GROWTHGROWTH mindset mindset

Then fold the paper and put it on a pile on your table

Write down 3 things you know Write down 3 things you know about a about a FIXEDFIXED mindset mindset

Now stick these on the wall in 2 separate groups

a GROWTH group

and

a FIXED group

In groups discuss the benefits of a growth mindset.

Write down 3 of these benefits…

Picture the brain forming new connections as you meet the

challenge and learn.

Keep on going…

Is there something in your past which you think measured you?

• Essay • Exam• Music lesson• Maths homework• Being rejected?

Now focus on that thing and put it in the growth mindset perspective…

Write it down

What did you learn from this What did you learn from this experience?experience?

Is there something that you always wanted to do but were afraid that you

weren’t good at it?

Make a plan and do it.

People are born with a love of learning.

A fixed mindset can undo this.

Mindset tips

• Create learning goals• Make plans• Imagine the brain making new connections

each time you learn something• Concentrate on believing that you can• When you meet challenges, setbacks or

adversity ask yourself ‘what can I learn from this?’

• Tell other people about your growth mindset• What else have you come up with………?

Fixed mindset

• If people are either smart or not smart, then failure means that people are not clever…

• Even though they could learn they GIVE UP

• They feel DEPRESSED and ANXIOUS

• Don’t persevere or put effort in

Growth mindset

• Failure is an opportunity to learn and to try out new strategies

• Failure is a chance to look for learning information and to improve performance

• Marks or grades do not measure a persons potential

• Don’t see setback as a failure