The most recent publications appear first.

Growing together: Assessing the peer effects of a growth mindset intervention

2019, Student Experience Research Network

This research snapshot summarizes a project led by Guillaume Basse as part of the National Study of Learning Mindsets Early Career Fellowship. The project investigates whether students who did not receive the growth mindset intervention used in the National Study of Learning Mindsets benefitted from being in contact with students who did. The snapshot offers insights about the design of future research related to peer effects.

A neurobiological investigation of the relationship between early adverse experiences and growth mindset among children

2019, Student Experience Research Network

This research snapshot provides an overview of a SERN-funded project led by Andrei Cimpian and Nim Tottenham. The project explored whether and how children’s beliefs about their ability to learn might have a buffering effect against the negative academic effects that are commonly associated with adverse experiences. The snapshot shares key findings, insights, and future directions for the project.

Language as thought: Using natural language processing to investigate mindsets, learning environments, and college success

2019, Student Experience Research Network

This research snapshot provides an overview of a SERN-funded project led by Sidney D'Mello, Angela Duckworth, Margo Gardner, and Donald Kamentz. The project analyzed language used by students in their college applications to explore the connections between extra-curricular/work experiences, psychological factors, and college success (as measured by graduating within four or six years). The snapshot shares key findings, insights, and future directions for the project.

Social and environmental influences on motivation for learning: The relationship between childhood adversity and motivational beliefs among older children and adolescents

2019, Student Experience Research Network

This research snapshot provides an overview of a SERN-funded project led by Katie McLaughlin and Rob Crosnoe. The project explores whether exposure to common forms of childhood adversity is associated with children’s learning mindsets, including growth mindset, sense of belonging at school, perceived utility value of school, and purpose for learning, as well as how these associations vary across different types of adversity. The snapshot shares key findings, insights, and future directions for the project.

Pairing light-touch learning mindset interventions with a long-term campus initiative

2019, Student Experience Research Network

This research snapshot provides an overview of a SERN-funded project led by Barbara Schneider, John Yun, and Soobin Kim. The project analyzed the impact of online learning mindset interventions administered to prospective Michigan State University students in the summer before matriculation. The study evaluated the impact of the interventions on students’ academic performance and persistence and explored the impact of pairing the online mindset interventions with an on-campus mentoring program. The snapshot shares key findings, insights, and future directions for the project.

Impact of a growth mindset intervention on key predictors of academic success in a nationally representative sample

2019, Student Experience Research Network

This research summary provides an overview of an article published in Nature by David Yeager and colleagues about initial results from the National Study of Learning Mindsets (NSLM). The NSLM was designed to understand which kinds of students, in which kinds of classrooms, and in which kinds of schools are most likely to benefit from a short online program designed to foster a growth mindset during the transition to high school. The summary includes key findings and implications for education policy and practice.

Exploring teachers’ growth mindsets and the differential treatment of high- and low-ability students

2019, Student Experience Research Network

This research snapshot summarizes a project led by Alexander Browman as part of the National Study of Learning Mindsets Early Career Fellowship. The project explores how teachers' beliefs about the malleability of intelligence and perceptions of student ability influence their use of supportive or restrictive instructional messages.

Can a growth mindset program overcome persistent messages about the stability of intelligence?

2019, Student Experience Research Network

This research snapshot summarizes a project led by Alison Koenka as part of the National Study of Learning Mindsets Early Career Fellowship. The project explores two questions: 1) Do academic labeling and mathematics tracking predict differences in students’ beliefs about intelligence, motivational beliefs, and academic performance? 2) Does a growth mindset program (i.e., an intervention promoting beliefs that intelligence is malleable) differentially influence students’ beliefs and performance based on their academic labeling and mathematics tracking experiences?