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Scientists say having an ‘I think I can’t’ attitude makes failure all the more likely.
TRONDHEIM, Norway — In a world obsessed with talent and natural ability, new research suggests that what truly sets high achievers apart might be all in their heads — literally. A new study reveals that people with a growth mindset — those who believe their abilities can be developed through effort — show significantly higher levels of passion and grit compared to those with a fixed mindset.
Think about the last time you faced a challenging task. Did you tell yourself, “I’m just not good at this,” and give up, or did you view it as an opportunity to learn and improve? While this study doesn’t prove that one response is better than the other, it suggests an intriguing connection between such thoughts and our drive to achieve.
The research, conducted by Hermundur Sigmundsson and Monika Haga from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), examined 1,548 participants between the ages of 13 and 77. The researchers focused on comparing two distinct groups: those with the highest growth mindset scores (top 5%) and those with the lowest (bottom 5%).
A growth mindset, as defined in the research, isn’t just positive thinking — it’s the belief that intellectual ability is malleable rather than fixed and that intelligence can be significantly enhanced through effort, rehearsal, effective learning strategies, and education. This contrasts with a fixed mindset, where people tend to view their abilities as permanent qualities.
Grit, the researchers explain, refers to perseverance and passion for long-term goals. It’s characterized by maintaining effort and interest despite setbacks. Think of the student who persists through challenging coursework or the athlete who maintains their training schedule through ups and downs — while these examples weren’t in the study, they illustrate the concept.
Passion, in the context of this study, is a strong desire or enthusiasm for something or a strong feeling toward an important value or preference that motivates intentions and behaviors. It’s that drive that keeps people engaged in their pursuits over time.
The study’s findings, published in the journal Acta Psychologica, were clear: The high-growth mindset group scored significantly higher in both passion (4.14 out of 5) and grit (3.61 out of 5) compared to the low-growth mindset group (3.78 and 3.23, respectively). The research also found correlations between all three attributes — passion, grit, and mindset — suggesting they may work together to influence achievement.
The researchers explicitly argue that growth mindset should be “all encompassing in our society” — in schools, sports, working life, and within families. While the study doesn’t prove that developing a growth mindset will increase passion or grit, it suggests these qualities often go hand in hand.
This research doesn’t just add to our theoretical understanding — it provides practical insights for anyone interested in achieving their goals or helping others do the same. Parents might reconsider how they praise their children, focusing on effort and strategy rather than innate ability. Teachers might reshape their feedback to foster a growth mindset. Managers might rethink how they approach employee development and motivation.
“Our results can help us better understand the connections between different factors. These are in turn related to how satisfied people are with their lives, how they feel, what they have already achieved and learning,” says Sigmundsson, a professor at the Department of Psychology at NTNU, in a statement. “The belief in growth is important for large parts of our society. This is true for school, sports, work and family life.”
These findings point to potentially important implications for education and personal development. The relationship between these attributes might help explain why some people maintain their enthusiasm and perseverance in pursuing long-term goals while others struggle to do so.
Perhaps Henry Ford was more right than he knew when he said, “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.” Science now suggests that your beliefs about your potential aren’t just predictions of your future — they’re active ingredients in creating it.
Paper Summary
Methodology
The study used three validated measurement tools: The Theories of Intelligence Scale (TIS) to measure mindset, the eight-item Passion Scale, and the Grit-S scale. From the initial 1,548 participants, they identified two groups: 78 participants (49 females and 29 males) in the high growth mindset group with a mean score of 5.96, and 78 participants (34 females and 44 males) in the low growth mindset group with a mean score of 1.43.
Key Results
The findings showed clear statistical differences between the groups. The growth mindset high group had significantly higher scores in both passion (4.14 vs 3.78) and grit (3.61 vs 3.23). The correlations for the whole group (N=1548) were: passion and grit r=0.330, passion and mindset r=0.158, and grit and mindset r=0.177.
Study Limitations
The participants were recruited from the Nordic region, potentially limiting generalizability. The cross-sectional design doesn’t allow for determining causal relationships between variables. The study measured these attributes generally rather than in relation to specific domains. Like all questionnaire-based surveys, there might be self-reporting bias.
Discussion & Takeaways
The research demonstrated that individuals with high growth mindset scores showed significantly higher levels of both passion and grit compared to those with low growth mindset scores. The researchers suggest these findings could be significant for better understanding the relationship between these constructs as they relate to life satisfaction, well-being, achievement, and learning.
Funding & Disclosures
The study was conducted in agreement with the guidelines set out by the Norwegian Centre for Research Data. The paper does not mention external funding sources, and no competing interests were declared.
