Abstract

This study examined two widely available light-touch, writing-based mindset interventions: one that targeted students’ purpose for learning and one that aimed to increase students’ growth mindset. In order to examine the potential mechanisms underlying previously reported effects of mindset interventions, we analyzed these interventions’ effects on low-income, ethnic minority adolescents’ academic outcomes, task persistence, task-relevant anxiety, critical motivation, and sense of belonging. Results indicated that the purpose for learning intervention had a small negative impact on students’ self-reported grades the following year, and null results for the other outcomes. The growth mindset intervention was administered one year following the purpose for learning intervention and we found no evidence of treatment impacts on any outcomes. Analyses of treatment impact moderation suggested that certain student characteristics, such as student gender and race could play a role, but most of these tests also presented null results. The primarily null results of both interventions suggest that further study is needed to determine the effectiveness of one-time, self-administered mindset interventions across a variety of contexts and student populations.

摘要

这项研究研究了两种广泛可用的轻触，基于写作的心态干预：一种针对学生的学习目的，另一种旨在提高学生的成长心态。为了检查先前报道的心态干预作用的潜在机制，我们分析了这些干预措施对低收入，少数族裔青少年的学业成绩，任务持久性，与任务相关的焦虑，关键动机和归属感的影响。结果表明，学习干预的目的对来年学生的自我报告成绩产生了较小的负面影响，而其他结果则无效。出于学习干预的目的，在一年后进行了增长思维定式干预，我们没有发现治疗对任何结局有影响的证据。对治疗影响缓和的分析表明，某些学生特征，例如学生性别和种族可能起一定作用，但是这些测试中的大多数也没有结果。两种干预措施最初的无效结果都表明，需要进行进一步的研究，以确定在各种情况和学生群体中一次自我管理的心态干预措施的有效性。