In today’s world, the concept of growth mindset has gained significant traction, particularly in how we approach learning, self-improvement, and performance.
Andrew Huberman, a renowned professor of neurobiology and ophthalmology at Stanford School of Medicine, recently discussed this concept and its profound impact on personal growth in his podcast, The Huberman Lab. This blog post explores the essence of growth mindset, its benefits, and how feedback, especially effort-based praise, can transform motivation and performance.
What is Growth Mindset?
Growth mindset is the belief that our abilities are not fixed. Instead, we have the potential to improve and grow through effort and learning.
It challenges the notion that we are either “good” or “bad” at something from the outset and invites us to embrace challenges, put in effort, and believe that our skills and abilities can evolve over time.
Questions to Ask Yourself: A Key Step in Developing Growth Mindset
Andrew Huberman encourages individuals to ask themselves critical questions about their strengths and weaknesses. These questions help explore the roots of what we excel at and where we face challenges. Consider the following:
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What have others told me I am really good at?
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What have others told me I am really bad at?
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What have I told myself about my abilities?
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Why am I good at certain things? Did it come naturally, or did I put in years of effort?
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Why am I not good at other things? Was it because I didn’t try hard enough, or did I face early failures that discouraged me?
These reflective questions help to separate the intrinsic ability from the effort invested and can highlight areas where we might have placed artificial limitations on our potential.
The Importance of Feedback: How Praise Influences Performance
Huberman dives deeper into the science behind feedback and its role in shaping mindset. Research from Dr. Carol Dweck’s lab shows that the type of feedback we receive – whether it’s related to intelligence or effort – can dramatically influence our future performance.
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Intelligence-based Praise: When we receive praise linked to our intelligence (e.g., “You’re so smart!” or “You’re talented”), it may feel good in the moment but can have negative long-term effects. People who receive intelligence praise often become more focused on proving their innate talent rather than persevering through challenges. This mindset can lead to avoiding difficult tasks to maintain the “smart” label, hindering overall growth and performance.
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Effort-based Praise: On the other hand, praise focused on effort (e.g., “You worked so hard!” or “You persisted despite challenges!”) has been shown to significantly improve performance. This type of feedback reinforces the idea that success comes from hard work and determination, making individuals more likely to take on harder tasks and develop further.
The Study: How Effort Praise Outperforms Intelligence Praise
A groundbreaking study conducted by Dr. Dweck and her colleague Claudia Mueller demonstrated the profound impact of praise on children’s motivation and performance. The study involved giving children either intelligence-based praise or effort-based praise after completing tasks. The findings were remarkable:
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Children who received intelligence-based praise were more likely to choose easier tasks in the future, as they sought to maintain the perception of being “smart.”
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Children who received effort-based praise chose more challenging tasks, as they believed that effort and persistence were the keys to success.
Moreover, when faced with new challenges, the children praised for effort showed improved performance, while those praised for intelligence saw a decline in their results.
The Role of Persistence: Effort Praise Builds Resilience
Another key insight from the study was the role of persistence.
Children praised for their effort not only chose harder tasks but also engaged in more challenges overall.
This persistence, a direct result of effort-based feedback, contributed to greater long-term success and improvement.
How This Research Can Transform Your Approach to Learning and Development
This research highlights a critical truth: the type of feedback we receive – or give ourselves – shapes our long-term success.
If you are a parent, teacher, or even someone working on self-improvement, it’s crucial to shift the focus from praising innate abilities to praising the effort that goes into developing skills.
Effort praise encourages persistence, resilience, and a growth mindset, all of which are essential for continued success.
Practical Tips for Cultivating a Growth Mindset
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Focus on Effort Over Results: Instead of labeling yourself as “smart” or “talented,” focus on your efforts and persistence. Celebrate the process of learning and growing, not just the end result.
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Challenge Yourself: Embrace challenges as opportunities to grow. Choose tasks that push your limits, knowing that each attempt brings you closer to improvement.
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Shift Your Internal Dialogue: When you face setbacks, change your self-talk from “I’m bad at this” to “I need to work harder” or “I need to try a different approach.”
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Praise Effort in Others: Whether you’re a teacher, manager, or friend, emphasize the value of effort in others. Acknowledge their persistence, resilience, and hard work, not just their innate talent.
Conclusion: The Power of Growth Mindset
Adopting a growth mindset is not just about believing in our potential – it’s about creating an environment, both internally and externally, that reinforces the idea that growth comes from effort.
As Huberman and Dweck’s research suggest, the feedback we give ourselves and others can either propel us forward or limit our potential.
By shifting the focus from intelligence to effort, we open the door to greater success, resilience, and fulfillment in all areas of life.
