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Carol Dweck: The power of believing that you can improve
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Carol Dweck researches “growth mindset” — the idea that we can grow our brain's capacity to learn and to solve problems. In this talk, she describes two ways to think about a problem that’s slightly too hard for you to solve. Are you not smart enough to solve it … or have you just not solved it yet? A great introduction to this influential field.
Carol Dweck - Psychologist
Carol Dweck is a pioneering researcher in the field of motivation, why people succeed (or don't) and how to foster success. Full bio
Carol Dweck is a pioneering researcher in the field of motivation, why people succeed (or don't) and how to foster success. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:13
The power of yet.
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I heard about a high school in Chicago
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where students had to pass
a certain number of courses to graduate,
a certain number of courses to graduate,
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and if they didn't pass a course,
they got the grade "Not Yet."
they got the grade "Not Yet."
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And I thought that was fantastic,
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because if you get a failing grade,
you think, I'm nothing, I'm nowhere.
you think, I'm nothing, I'm nowhere.
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But if you get the grade "Not Yet"
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you understand that
you're on a learning curve.
you're on a learning curve.
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It gives you a path into the future.
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"Not Yet" also gave me insight
into a critical event early in my career,
into a critical event early in my career,
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a real turning point.
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I wanted to see
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how children coped
with challenge and difficulty,
with challenge and difficulty,
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so I gave 10-year-olds
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problems that were
slightly too hard for them.
slightly too hard for them.
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Some of them reacted
in a shockingly positive way.
in a shockingly positive way.
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They said things like,
"I love a challenge,"
"I love a challenge,"
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or, "You know, I was hoping
this would be informative."
this would be informative."
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They understood
that their abilities could be developed.
that their abilities could be developed.
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They had what I call a growth mindset.
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But other students felt
it was tragic, catastrophic.
it was tragic, catastrophic.
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From their more fixed mindset perspective,
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their intelligence had been
up for judgment and they failed.
up for judgment and they failed.
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Instead of luxuriating
in the power of yet,
in the power of yet,
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they were gripped in the tyranny of now.
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So what do they do next?
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I'll tell you what they do next.
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In one study, they told us
they would probably cheat the next time
they would probably cheat the next time
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instead of studying more
if they failed a test.
if they failed a test.
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In another study, after a failure,
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they looked for someone
who did worse than they did
who did worse than they did
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so they could feel really
good about themselves.
good about themselves.
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And in study after study,
they have run from difficulty.
they have run from difficulty.
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Scientists measured
the electrical activity from the brain
the electrical activity from the brain
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as students confronted an error.
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On the left, you see
the fixed mindset students.
the fixed mindset students.
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There's hardly any activity.
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They run from the error.
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They don't engage with it.
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But on the right, you have
the students with the growth mindset,
the students with the growth mindset,
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the idea that abilities can be developed.
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They engage deeply.
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Their brain is on fire with yet.
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They engage deeply.
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They process the error.
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They learn from it and they correct it.
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03:13
How are we raising our children?
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Are we raising them for now
instead of yet?
instead of yet?
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Are we raising kids who are
obsessed with getting A's?
obsessed with getting A's?
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Are we raising kids who don't know
how to dream big dreams?
how to dream big dreams?
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Their biggest goal is getting the next A
or the next test score?
or the next test score?
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And are they carrying this need
for constant validation with them
for constant validation with them
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into their future lives?
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Maybe, because employers
are coming to me and saying,
are coming to me and saying,
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we have already raised a generation
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of young workers who
can't get through the day
can't get through the day
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without an award.
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So what can we do?
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How can we build that bridge to yet?
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Here are some things we can do.
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First of all, we can praise wisely,
not praising intelligence or talent.
not praising intelligence or talent.
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That has failed.
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Don't do that anymore.
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But praising the process
that kids engage in:
that kids engage in:
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their effort, their strategies,
their focus, their perseverance,
their focus, their perseverance,
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their improvement.
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This process praise
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creates kids who are hardy and resilient.
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There are other ways to reward yet.
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We recently teamed up with game scientists
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from the University of Washington
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to create a new online math game
that rewarded yet.
that rewarded yet.
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In this game, students were rewarded
for effort, strategy and progress.
for effort, strategy and progress.
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The usual math game
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rewards you for getting
answers right right now,
answers right right now,
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but this game rewarded process.
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And we got more effort,
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more strategies,
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more engagement over
longer periods of time,
longer periods of time,
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and more perseverance when
they hit really, really hard problems.
they hit really, really hard problems.
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Just the words "yet"
or "not yet," we're finding,
or "not yet," we're finding,
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give kids greater confidence,
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give them a path into the future
that creates greater persistence.
that creates greater persistence.
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And we can actually
change students' mindsets.
change students' mindsets.
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In one study, we taught them
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that every time they push
out of their comfort zone
out of their comfort zone
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to learn something new and difficult,
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the neurons in their brain can form
new, stronger connections,
new, stronger connections,
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and over time they can get smarter.
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Look what happened: in this study,
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students who were not
taught this growth mindset
taught this growth mindset
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continued to show declining grades
over this difficult school transition,
over this difficult school transition,
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but those who were taught this lesson
showed a sharp rebound in their grades.
showed a sharp rebound in their grades.
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We have shown this now,
this kind of improvement,
this kind of improvement,
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with thousands and thousands of kids,
especially struggling students.
especially struggling students.
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So let's talk about equality.
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In our country, there are
groups of students
groups of students
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who chronically underperform,
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for example, children in inner cities,
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or children on
Native American reservations.
Native American reservations.
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And they've done so poorly for so long
that many people think it's inevitable.
that many people think it's inevitable.
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But when educators create
growth mindset classrooms steeped in yet,
growth mindset classrooms steeped in yet,
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equality happens.
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And here are just a few examples.
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In one year, a kindergarten class
in Harlem, New York
in Harlem, New York
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scored in the 95th percentile
on the National Achievement Test.
on the National Achievement Test.
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Many of those kids could not hold a pencil
when they arrived at school.
when they arrived at school.
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In one year,
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fourth grade students
in the South Bronx, way behind,
in the South Bronx, way behind,
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became the number one fourth grade class
in the state of New York
in the state of New York
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on the state math test.
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In a year to a year and a half,
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Native American students
in a school on a reservation
in a school on a reservation
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went from the bottom of their district
to the top,
to the top,
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and that district included
affluent sections of Seattle.
affluent sections of Seattle.
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So the native kids outdid
the Microsoft kids.
the Microsoft kids.
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This happened because the meaning
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of effort and difficulty were transformed.
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Before, effort and difficulty
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made them feel dumb,
made them feel like giving up,
made them feel like giving up,
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but now, effort and difficulty,
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that's when their neurons
are making new connections,
are making new connections,
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stronger connections.
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That's when they're getting smarter.
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I received a letter recently
from a 13-year-old boy.
from a 13-year-old boy.
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He said, "Dear Professor Dweck,
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I appreciate that your writing is based
on solid scientific research,
on solid scientific research,
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and that's why I decided
to put it into practice.
to put it into practice.
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I put more effort into my schoolwork,
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into my relationship with my family,
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and into my relationship
with kids at school,
with kids at school,
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and I experienced great improvement
in all of those areas.
in all of those areas.
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I now realize I've wasted
most of my life."
most of my life."
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Let's not waste any more lives,
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because once we know
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that abilities are capable of such growth,
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it becomes a basic human right
for children, all children,
for children, all children,
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to live in places that create that growth,
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to live in places filled with yet.
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Thank you.
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(Applause)
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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Carol Dweck - PsychologistCarol Dweck is a pioneering researcher in the field of motivation, why people succeed (or don't) and how to foster success.
Why you should listen
As Carol Dweck describes it: "My work bridges developmental psychology, social psychology, and personality psychology, and examines the self-conceptions (or mindsets) people use to structure the self and guide their behavior. My research looks at the origins of these mindsets, their role in motivation and self-regulation, and their impact on achievement and interpersonal processes."
Dweck is a professor at Stanford and the author of Mindset, a classic work on motivation and "growth mindset." Her work is influential among educators and increasingly among business leaders as well.
Carol Dweck | Speaker | TED.com