A national experiment reveals where a growth mindset improves achievement.
Yeager, D.S., Hanselman, P., Walton, G.M. et al. (2019). Nature 573, 364–369, doi:10.1038/s41586-019-1466-y.
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examining11,888Students, grade9
Single Study Review
Review Details
Reviewed: May 2021
- Single Study Review (findings for Online growth mindset intervention)
- Randomized Controlled Trial
- Meets WWC standards without reservations because it is a randomized controlled trial with low attrition.
This review may not reflect the full body of research evidence for this intervention.
Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.
Findings
|
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Grade Point Average in core 9th grade math courses |
Online growth mindset intervention vs. Intervention |
9 Months |
Full sample;
|
2.48 |
2.42 |
Yes |
|
|
|
| Show Supplemental Findings | |||||||||
|
Grade Point Average in core 9th grade math courses |
Online growth mindset intervention vs. Intervention |
9 Months |
Lower-performing students in schools with low previous achievement;
|
N/A |
N/A |
No |
-- | ||
|
Grade Point Average in core 9th grade math courses |
Online growth mindset intervention vs. Intervention |
9 Months |
Lower-performing students;
|
1.99 |
1.91 |
Yes |
|
||
|
Grade Point Average in core 9th grade math courses |
Online growth mindset intervention vs. Intervention |
9 Months |
Students in schools with medium previous achievement;
|
N/A |
N/A |
Yes |
|
||
|
Grade Point Average in core 9th grade math courses |
Online growth mindset intervention vs. Intervention |
9 Months |
Lower-performing students in schools with medium previous achievement;
|
N/A |
N/A |
Yes |
|
||
|
Grade Point Average in core 9th grade math courses |
Online growth mindset intervention vs. Intervention |
9 Months |
Lower-performing students in schools with strong fixed mindset belief;
|
N/A |
N/A |
Yes |
|
||
|
Grade Point Average in core 9th grade math courses |
Online growth mindset intervention vs. Intervention |
9 Months |
Higher-performing students;
|
3.06 |
3.01 |
No |
-- | ||
|
Grade Point Average in core 9th grade math courses |
Online growth mindset intervention vs. Intervention |
9 Months |
Students in schools with weak fixed mindset belief;
|
N/A |
N/A |
No |
-- | ||
|
Grade Point Average in core 9th grade math courses |
Online growth mindset intervention vs. Intervention |
9 Months |
Students in schools with strong fixed belief;
|
N/A |
N/A |
Yes |
|
||
|
Grade Point Average in core 9th grade math courses |
Online growth mindset intervention vs. Intervention |
9 Months |
Lower-performing students in schools with weak fixed mindset belief;
|
N/A |
N/A |
No |
-- | ||
|
Grade Point Average in core 9th grade math courses |
Online growth mindset intervention vs. Intervention |
9 Months |
Students in schools with low previous achievement;
|
N/A |
N/A |
No |
-- | ||
|
Grade Point Average in core 9th grade math courses |
Online growth mindset intervention vs. Intervention |
9 Months |
Students in schools with high previous achievement;
|
N/A |
N/A |
No |
-- | ||
|
Grade Point Average in core 9th grade math courses |
Online growth mindset intervention vs. Intervention |
9 Months |
Lower-performing students in schools with high previous achievement ;
|
N/A |
N/A |
No |
-- | ||
|
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
9th Grade Point Average |
Online growth mindset intervention vs. Intervention |
9 Months |
Full sample;
|
2.59 |
2.55 |
Yes |
|
|
|
|
9th GPA of 1.0 or lower |
Online growth mindset intervention vs. Intervention |
9 Months |
Full sample;
|
29.72 |
32.09 |
Yes |
|
|
|
| Show Supplemental Findings | |||||||||
|
9th GPA of 1.0 or lower |
Online growth mindset intervention vs. Intervention |
9 Months |
Lower-performing students in schools with medium previous achievement;
|
N/A |
N/A |
Yes |
|
||
|
9th Grade Point Average |
Online growth mindset intervention vs. Intervention |
9 Months |
Lower-performing students ;
|
2.11 |
2.03 |
Yes |
|
||
|
9th GPA of 1.0 or lower |
Online growth mindset intervention vs. Intervention |
9 Months |
Lower-performing students;
|
45.36 |
49.29 |
Yes |
|
||
|
9th GPA of 1.0 or lower |
Online growth mindset intervention vs. Intervention |
9 Months |
Students in schools with medium previous achievement;
|
N/A |
N/A |
Yes |
|
||
|
9th Grade Point Average |
Online growth mindset intervention vs. Intervention |
9 Months |
Lower-performing students in schools with medium previous achievement;
|
N/A |
N/A |
Yes |
|
||
|
9th GPA of 1.0 or lower |
Online growth mindset intervention vs. Intervention |
9 Months |
Lower-performing students in schools with weak average fixed mindset belief.;
|
N/A |
N/A |
No |
-- | ||
|
9th Grade Point Average |
Online growth mindset intervention vs. Intervention |
9 Months |
Students in schools with medium previous achievement;
|
N/A |
N/A |
Yes |
|
||
|
9th GPA of 1.0 or lower |
Online growth mindset intervention vs. Intervention |
9 Months |
Students in schools with low previous achievement;
|
N/A |
N/A |
No |
-- | ||
|
9th Grade Point Average |
Online growth mindset intervention vs. Intervention |
9 Months |
Students in schools with strong fixed mindset belief;
|
N/A |
N/A |
Yes |
|
||
|
9th GPA of 1.0 or lower |
Online growth mindset intervention vs. Intervention |
9 Months |
Students in schools with weak fixed mindset belief;
|
N/A |
N/A |
Yes |
|
||
|
9th Grade Point Average |
Online growth mindset intervention vs. Intervention |
9 Months |
Students in schools with strong fixed mindset belief;
|
N/A |
N/A |
Yes |
|
||
|
9th GPA of 1.0 or lower |
Online growth mindset intervention vs. Intervention |
9 Months |
Students in schools with strong fixed mindset belief;
|
N/A |
N/A |
Yes |
|
||
|
9th Grade Point Average |
Online growth mindset intervention vs. Intervention |
9 Months |
Lower-performing students in schools with low previous achievement ;
|
N/A |
N/A |
No |
-- | ||
|
9th GPA of 1.0 or lower |
Online growth mindset intervention vs. Intervention |
9 Months |
Lower-performing students in schools with low previous achievement;
|
N/A |
N/A |
No |
-- | ||
|
9th Grade Point Average |
Online growth mindset intervention vs. Intervention |
9 Months |
Lower-performing students in schools with weak fixed mindset belief;
|
N/A |
N/A |
No |
-- | ||
|
9th Grade Point Average |
Online growth mindset intervention vs. Intervention |
9 Months |
Lower-performing students in schools with strong average fixed mindset belief;
|
N/A |
N/A |
Yes |
|
||
|
9th GPA of 1.0 or lower |
Online growth mindset intervention vs. Intervention |
9 Months |
Lower-performing students in schools with strong average fixed mindset belief;
|
N/A |
N/A |
No |
-- | ||
|
9th Grade Point Average |
Online growth mindset intervention vs. Intervention |
9 Months |
Students in schools with weak fixed mindset belief;
|
N/A |
N/A |
No |
-- | ||
|
9th Grade Point Average |
Online growth mindset intervention vs. Intervention |
9 Months |
Lower-performing students in schools with high previous achievement;
|
N/A |
N/A |
No |
-- | ||
|
9th Grade Point Average |
Online growth mindset intervention vs. Intervention |
9 Months |
Higher-performing students;
|
3.16 |
3.15 |
No |
-- | ||
|
9th GPA of 1.0 or lower |
Online growth mindset intervention vs. Intervention |
9 Months |
Higher-performing students;
|
11.65 |
11.58 |
No |
-- | ||
|
9th Grade Point Average |
Online growth mindset intervention vs. Intervention |
9 Months |
Students in schools with low previous achievement;
|
N/A |
N/A |
No |
-- | ||
|
9th Grade Point Average |
Online growth mindset intervention vs. Intervention |
9 Months |
Students in schools with high previous achievement;
|
N/A |
N/A |
No |
-- | ||
|
9th GPA of 1.0 or lower |
Online growth mindset intervention vs. Intervention |
9 Months |
Lower-performing students in schools with high previous achievement;
|
N/A |
N/A |
No |
-- | ||
|
9th GPA of 1.0 or lower |
Online growth mindset intervention vs. Intervention |
9 Months |
Students in schools with high previous achievement;
|
N/A |
N/A |
No |
-- | ||
|
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Challenge-seeking Intentions |
Online growth mindset intervention vs. Intervention |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
50.80 |
38.19 |
Yes |
|
|
|
Number of hard items chosen |
Online growth mindset intervention vs. Intervention |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
3.33 |
2.83 |
Yes |
|
|
|
Number of easy items chosen |
Online growth mindset intervention vs. Intervention |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
3.54 |
4.00 |
Yes |
|
|
|
More hard items than easy ones |
Online growth mindset intervention vs. Intervention |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
39.44 |
30.64 |
Yes |
|
|
|
More easy items than hard ones |
Online growth mindset intervention vs. Intervention |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
47.72 |
56.82 |
Yes |
|
|
|
Total challenge value across items |
Online growth mindset intervention vs. Intervention |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
21.03 |
19.94 |
Yes |
|
|
|
Equal number of hard and easy items |
Online growth mindset intervention vs. Intervention |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
12.83 |
12.54 |
No |
-- | |
|
Mean item challenge |
Online growth mindset intervention vs. Intervention |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
1.96 |
1.86 |
Yes |
|
|
Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.
Sample Characteristics
Characteristics of study sample as reported by study author.
-
Female: 49%
Male: 51% -
Race Asian 4% Black 11% Other or unknown 42% White 43% -
Ethnicity Hispanic 24% Not Hispanic or Latino 76%
Study Details
Setting
The study included 63 high schools from across the United States.
Study sample
Students came from 63 diverse schools. All were in the ninth grade. Within the full sample, 49 percent of students were female; 24 percent were Hispanic; 4 percent were Asian; 11 percent were non-Hispanic and Black; 43 percent were non-Hispanic and White; and 18 percent were of another racial/ethnic background. About 29 percent of students had a mother with college education.
Intervention Group
The intervention consisted of two online modules, each lasting 25 minutes, designed to communicate that intellectual abilities are not fixed. In each module, students were presented with (1) an article that explains the concept of growth mindset-- that is, that the brain can "grow" in response to effort, trying new strategies, and seeking help from experts; and (2) a writing exercise designed to help students internalize the concepts by asking them to reflect on why a stronger brain could help them achieve their goals. Students completed the second module within one to four weeks of completing the first module.
Comparison Group
Individuals assigned to the comparison group received two 25-minute online training modules that did not focus on growth mindset. For each module, students (1) read an article about the brain structure and functions that did not address beliefs about intelligence or introduce the concept that the brain is malleable and (2) completed a writing exercise to summarize what the article.
Support for implementation
The intervention was conducted online.
Additional Sources
In the case of multiple manuscripts that report on one study, the WWC selects one manuscript as the primary citation and lists other manuscripts that describe the study as additional sources.
-
Zhu, Pei; Garcia, Ivonne; Boxer, Kate; Wadhera, Sidhant; Alonzo, Erick. (2019). Using a Growth Mindset Intervention to Help Ninth-Graders: An Independent Evaluation of the National Study of Learning Mindsets. MDRC.
An indicator of the effect of the intervention, the improvement index can be interpreted as the expected change in percentile rank for an average comparison group student if that student had received the intervention.
For more, please see the WWC Glossary entry for improvement index.
An outcome is the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that are attained as a result of an activity. An outcome measures is an instrument, device, or method that provides data on the outcome.
A finding that is included in the effectiveness rating. Excluded findings may include subgroups and subscales.
The sample on which the analysis was conducted.
The group to which the intervention group is compared, which may include a different intervention, business as usual, or no services.
The timing of the post-intervention outcome measure.
The number of students included in the analysis.
The mean score of students in the intervention group.
The mean score of students in the comparison group.
The WWC considers a finding to be statistically significant if the likelihood that the finding is due to chance alone, rather than a real difference, is less than five percent.
The WWC reviews studies for WWC products, Department of Education grant competitions, and IES performance measures.
The name and version of the document used to guide the review of the study.
The version of the WWC design standards used to guide the review of the study.
The result of the WWC assessment of the study. The rating is based on the strength of evidence of the effectiveness of the intervention. Studies are given a rating of Meets WWC Design Standards without Reservations, Meets WWC Design Standards with Reservations, or >Does Not Meet WWC Design Standards.
A related publication that was reviewed alongside the main study of interest.
Study findings for this report.
Based on the direction, magnitude, and statistical significance of the findings within a domain, the WWC characterizes the findings from a study as one of the following: statistically significant positive effects, substantively important positive effects, indeterminate effects, substantively important negative effects, and statistically significant negative effects. For more, please see the WWC Handbook.
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Tier 2 Moderate indicates moderate evidence of effectiveness, and
Tier 3 Promising indicates promising evidence of effectiveness,
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non-regulatory guidance for ESSA
and the regulations for ED discretionary grants (EDGAR Part 77).