Chapter 9: Mindsets Flashcards
What is a mindset?
a cognitive framework to guide one’s attention, information processing, decision making, and thinking about the meaning of effort, success, failure, and one’s own personal qualities.
Once adopted a mindset functions as a cognitive motivational system that produces important downstream consequences
Mindset 1: Deliberative - Implemental
Two sequential ways of thinking to differentiate the patterns of thought that occur during the goal setting versus goal striving process
Deliberative Mindset
An open minded way of thinking to consider the desirability and feasibility of a range of possible goals that one might or might not pursue.
While in this mindset during goal setting we often weigh the pros and cons of the goal. We are more realistic in this state and consider our goals in a way that allows to set goals that we have a better chance of actually achieving.
Implemental Mindset
A postdecisional closed-minded way of thinking that considers only information related to goal attainment and shields against non goal related considerations
Mindset 2: Promotion-Prevention
Two different orientations people adopt during goal striving to distinguish an eager improvement based regulatory style from a vigilant security based regulatory style
Promotion Mindseet
A focus on advancing the self toward ideals by adopting an eager locomotion behavioural strategy
improvement method, growth based
Prevention Mindset
A focus on preventing the self from not maintaining one’s duties and responsibilities by adopting a vigilant behavioural strategy
Don’t do wrong, don’t suffer loss (prevention)
Mindset 3: Growth-Fixed
Two contrasting ways of thinking about the nature of ones personal qualities
Can vary over different situations and environments
Growth Mindset:
The belief that ones personal qualities are malleable, changeable, and can be developed through effort
ex: how you think about personal qualities, I can get better at something if I practice.
Fixed Mindset:
The belief that one’s personal qualities are fixed, set, and not open to change
ex: people stay as smart as they are, but studying will help with an examination
Mindset 4: Consistency-Dissonance
The near-universal self-view that one is a competent, moral, and reasonable person
Consistency Mindset:
Information and behavioural actions that confirm that yes, one is a competent, moral, and reasonable person
Dissonance Mindset:
information and behavioural actions that suggest that no one is actually not a competent, moral, and reasonable person
Change attitude/behaviour to better match positive view of self when did something bad
How do the implemental and deliberative mindsets relate to goal setting and goal striving?
Deliberative and implemental mindsets are different mindsets that motivationally support the sequential phases of goal setting and goal striving
How do we move from goal setting to goal striving and how does this related to implemental and deliberative mindsets?
Phase 1: Goal setting: This is when we are in the deliberative mind set (goal deliberation and formulation of what to do) This phase motivates us and starts/energizes our behaviour. More open minded and realistic while in this state
Phase 2: Goal Striving: This is when we are in an implemental mind set (planning and action to attain the goal). This mindset is what keeps us going during the goal attainment. While striving for our goal and in the implemental mindset we are more closed minded and focused on the end point (eye on the prize) this can cause us to be unrealistic in the completion of goals and may not allow us to accurately adjust our goals while trying to obtain them if some other factor has changed since we set the goal.
How do deliberative and implemental mindsets differ in the processing of distractor information?
Deliberative mindset encourages less selective processing compared to an implemental mindset.
Deliberative mindset creates a more realistic and honest with self decision making process and we are less optimistic during this time.
During the Fujita et al. study when participants were in a deliberative state they were more accurate at recognizing words and were also faster when responding.
what were the findings from the Amor & Taylor Study?
Task assements and performance predictions made by participants were more optimistic in the implementation mindset and more pessimistic in deliberative mindset
In the implemental mindset participants were more optimistic , more confident in their choice (made this choice so now I gotta stick with it) This is how we deal with buyers remorse.
They also believed they would do better when they were in the implemental state and they in fact did do better.
What were the findings of the Gollwitzer et al. Study?
Superior recall of mindset congruent information: Deliberative mindset led to better recall of expected value-related (motivational) information and the implemental mindset led to better recall of implementation related (voilition) information.
Deliberative = better for goal setting implemental = better for goal striving
Could remember more info that related to goal setting when put in deliberative mind set and same goes for being in implemental and remembering things about goal striving
Gollwitzer & Kinney
People in the implemental state had a greater illusion of control and those in the delibertive mind set felt they had less control
Taylor & Gollwitzer
Deliberative Mindset led to worsened mood, greater perceived risk, lower self esteem, less optimism and the opposite results occurred for implementation.
What is the Regulatory Focus Theory and how does it relate to promotion-prevention mindsets?
People strive for their goals using either an IMPROVEMENT-based regulatory style called the PROMOTION MINDSET, or a SECURITY-based regulatory style called the PREVENTION mindset
Promotion = approach mindset Prevention = Avoidance mindset
Promotion –> what can I gain from this
Prevention –> what would I lose from this (see not losing something they already have as a gain)
Promotion mindset makes us sensitive to positive outcomes and the prevention mindset makes us sensitive to negative outcomes.
(this all only applies once your in goal striving)
what are the 7 components of a promotion focused mindset?
1) attention to improvement needs
2) goals are seen as ideals: hopes and aspirations
3) Situations signalling possible gain
4) sensitivity to positive outcomes
5) motivational orientation is to attain gains
6) behavioural strategy is fast, eager, locomotion
7) emotionality: cheerfulness vs. dejection
What are the 7 components of a prevention focused mindset?
1) attention to security needs
2) goals are seen as oughts: obligations, responsibilities
3) situations signalling possible loss
4) Sensitivity to negative outcomes
5) motivational orientation is to prevent losses
6) behavioural strategy is cautious, vigilant, assessment
7) emotionality: Calm vs. Agitation
How do we motivate those in prevention vs. promotion ?
- Success and failure mean different things to people depending on their regulatory mindset
- Can’t motivate someone unless you know whether they are promotion or prevention
- either in one mindset or the other not both but can vary task to task
- the possibility of failure is not motivating to the promotion focused person, but the possibility of success is because it energizes their desire to accomplish and gain things
- The possibility of success is not motivating for the prevention focused person, but the possibility of failure is because it re-energizes their desire to be vigilant and stay safe
Prevention –> gain is seen as staying the same, would be good for them bc they didn’t lose anything.
What are some of the main differences between Promotion and Prevention mindsets?
- Promotion mindset leads to the adoption of a gain based strategy of goal striving,
- while the prevention mindset leads to the adoption of a safety based strategy of goal striving
People with the promotion mindset are more willing to use accomplishment-based actions than they are to use vigilance-based actions.
People with the prevention mindset are more willing to use vigilance-based actions than they are to use accomplishment-based actions.
Do people do better in one mindset over another? (promotion-prevention)
Depends on the person, will do best when they use the method they prefer. That being said promotion tends to do a little better on average than prevention mindset
What is being referred to when talking about entity theorists?
this term refers to someone who has a fixed mindset. someone who has a fixed mindset believes that there is a physical entity that dwells inside the person to determine how much of the personality quality a person posses. Ex; being smart
What is being referred to when talking about an incremental theorist?
incremental theorist refers to someone who believes that their personal qualities can be changed and developed incrementally over time. ex: if you study you will get smarter, or if you work on yourself you can become kinder.
Mastery mindset: with effort I can make improvements on something. Value effort and persistence
Distinguish between Fixed and Growth mindsets, how to they respond to negative feedback?
Entity (Fixed) –> Judgement –> Helplessness (quit)
I am already how I am going to be
ex: goal at uni is to appear that I have higher ability than I actually do, doesn’t actually care about learning cause they think they can’t get better. Having to put effort in is not something they enjoy or want to do.
- When given negative feedback they basically just bail and quit.
Incremental (Growth) –> Development –> Mastery
Could careless about what others think of them, would rather work hard for a difficult B than get an easy A, they want to learn and actually get smarter not just appear smarter.
- When given negative feedback they work harder to meet their goals
Hong et. al Study Results
Participants with growth mindset made stronger effort attributions than those with fixed mindset, and attributed the same amount of importance to effort as to ability
fixed mindset creates vulnerability to helplessness: after negative feedback participants with a fixed mindset were less willing to take remedial tutorials than those with growth mindset
ex: pro athletes would most likely fit into the growth mindset as they push themselves hard and always want to get better
someone who is a sore loser would most likely fit into the fixed mindset, as they want people to think they are really good so they get mad when they can’t perform and don;t like putting in work into something that they think they can’t do any better at so they just quit
Mueller & Dweck Study Findings
Most children (67%) who were praised for their intelligence chose performance goals, while most children (92%) who were praised for their effort chose mastery goals
effort praise more favourable than intelligence praise
Do children feel better when they feel smart or put in effort?
All depends on how they were praised. Whether they were praised for effort or for intelligence
in relation to the Mueller & Dweck Study: Children that had been praised for their intelligence, when given negative feedback attributed it to ability and those praised for effort who were given negative feedback attributed it to not trying hard enough.
When given a task after negative feedback those who were praised for their effort actually did better than before on the task than those who were praised for their intelligence, their performance went down.
What was the result when children were placed with their peers after the study and asked to discuss their performance? (mueller & Dweck)
Over 1 third of the children praised for their intelligence cared so much about their performance and how it reflected on the that they would often lie about their true performance to their peers. While those praised for effort were more honest
What are the 2 main achievement goals associated with fixed and growth mindsets?
Mastery Goals and Performance Goals
- Differ in what constitutes competence of the goal
In Achievement situations people with a fixed mindset generally adopt performance goals and are concerned with looking smart
while people with a growth mindset generally adopt mastery goals in achievement situations and are concerned with learning, improving, and getting smarter.
What are the key differences between Mastery and Performance goals?
Mastery Goal:
- develop one’s competence
- Make progress
- Improve the self
- Overcome difficulties with effort and persistence
Performance goals:
- Prove one’s competence
- display high ability
- outperform others
- succeed with little apparent effort
what are the 4 Keys to adoption of a mastery goal over a performance goal ( 4 reasons someone would chose a mastery goal over a performance goal)
EXAM QUESTION
1) Preference for a challenging task one can learn from: When people adopt mastery vs. performance goals they tend to prefer challenging tasks that they can learn from than tasks that are easy and that they excel at
2) Use of conceptually based learning strategies: you would really put in effort to actually learn and not just temporarily memorize the information
3) Experience greater intrinsic rather than extrinsic motivation
4) more likely to ask for information and help when they need it
This leads them to WORK HARDER, PERSIST LONGER, and PERFORM BETTER
What does fear of failure do?
works against achievement strivings by encouraging us to adopt performance-avoidance goals
When we try hard to avoid performing poorly we end up regulating our behaviour in ways that increase negative affect, and always trying to avoid embarrassing oneself, takes its toll on our well-being
