A-Z Popular Blog Learning Search »
Mindset
 Advertisements
Related Guides

4 Examples of a Fixed Mindset

 ,
A fixed mindset is the belief that talent and abilities are innate traits that can't be developed. This can be contrasted with a growth mindset that views talent and abilities as the result of effort and resilience. The latter viewpoint is thought to produce improved life outcomes. The following are illustrative examples of a fixed mindset.

Agency

A fixed mindset can be viewed as low agency whereby an individual doesn't believe they control their own results in life. For example, a student who views mathematics as a natural talent that they lack such that they aren't to blame for low math scores.

Motivated Reasoning

The theory of fixed mindset is difficult to measure because individuals may claim to lack talent and innate ability when they simply do not like a subject. In other words, a lack of aptitude can be used as an excuse to avoid the subject or apply little effort. This is based on a common type of thought process known as motivated reasoning.

Realism

In some cases, a fixed mindset can be realistic to some degree. For example, a student who has tried and tried to improve their skills with a musical instrument who realizes they will never master it due to a lack of aptitude. Where significant effort has been applied with little result, a seemingly fixed mindset can be viewed as realism. In this case, a student who is encouraged to adopt a failure is not an option approach based on the supposed benefits of a growth mindset may face further discouraging results and may end up wasting their potential in areas where they have far more aptitude.

Defeatism

A fixed mindset can be viewed as a form of defeatism whereby an individual views a situation as hopeless and uses this as a reason not to try. For example, a student who believes they lack aptitude may avoid challenges, give up easily and ignore critical feedback..

Notes

The theory of fixed mindset is primarily applied to education and learning.
Fixed mindset theory can be viewed as part of a greater trend whereby education systems are encouraged to pathologize students.
Overview: Fixed Mindset
Type
Definition
The belief that talent and abilities are innate traits that can't be developed.
Attributed To
Carol Dweck
Related Concepts

Learning

This is the complete list of articles we have written about learning.
Academic Goals
Conclusions
Creative Learning
Curiosity Drive
Direct Experience
Discipline
Education Experience
Education Issues
Experience
Experiential Learning
Fixed Mindset
Learning Curve
Learning Experience
Learning Goals
Learning Plan
Learning Styles
Mnemonics
Outcomes
Personal Experience
Rote Learning
Service Learning
Social Learning
Spacing Effect
Student Performance
Studying
Things To Learn
Trained Incapacity
Trial And Error
Understanding
Unlearning
More ...
If you enjoyed this page, please consider bookmarking Simplicable.
 

Learning

A glossary of learning terms.

Social Learning

The definition of social learning with examples.

Growth Mindset

The definition of growth mindset with examples.

Words To Describe School

A vocabulary for describing schools and school culture.

Interests

A list of common interests.

Service Learning

An overview of service learning with examples.

Community Involvement

An overview of community involvement with a list of examples.

Opinion Writing

An overview of opinion writing with examples.

Research Topics

A list of interesting research topics.

Academic Strengths

A list of common academic strengths.

Talent

A list of abilities that are commonly viewed as a talent as opposed to a commodity skill.

List of Abilities

An a-z list of abilities.

Academic Weaknesses

A list of common academic weaknesses.

Academic Skills

A list of foundational academic skills.

Academic Interests

An a-z list of common academic interests.

Student Goals

A list of common student goals.

Learning Experience

An overview of learning experience with examples.
The most popular articles on Simplicable in the past day.

New Articles

Recent posts or updates on Simplicable.
Site Map