The scientific foundation for mindset
Albert Bandura first developed the concept of self-efficacy in the 1970’s. He defined self-efficacy as the belief in one’s capabilities to organize and execute the courses of action required to produce given attainments. This concept has now become one of the most highly researched constructs in psychology. In fact, in a 2002 article analyzing the most cited and most influential psychologists of the twentieth century, Bandura was ranked fourth, after B.F. Skinner, Jean Piaget, and Sigmund Freud.
The research on self-efficacy is consistent. The belief of whether or not you have the capability, strategies, and work ethic necessary to be successful is more important to success than an objective evaluation of your skill level. This belief has been found to affect occupational success, social relationships, perseverance, resilience, and stress tolerance along with emotional conditions such as anxiety, phobias, depression, eating disorders, and drug and alcohol abuse. The focus of this website is the profound effect self-efficacy has on achievement.
Luckily, the research has also shown that self-efficacy beliefs can be modified. One of the most effective ways to develop self-efficacy is through mastery experiences. When a student works on a challenging project, overcomes obstacles, and eventually succeeds it is more likely that the student will believe she can be successful the next time she is faced with a challenge in the same domain. This is why it is so important to wisely and thoughtfully choose goals that are challenging yet attainable. Self-efficacy may drop whether goals result in repeated failures or are achieved with little effort.
Students can also develop stronger self-efficacy by watching other people overcome obstacles--as long as they believe the other person is at the same capability level as them ("If she can do it, I can do it."). As a parent you serve as a model for your child in many ways. As your child uses your behavior and characteristics to help define who she will be, modeling of self-efficacy behavior and attitudes on your part may help your child develop her own strong sense of self-efficacy.
Another source of self-efficacy is encouragement or praise from others. It is critical that we understand how praise can either support or detract from the development of self-efficacy. When we focus our praise on effort, strategies and overcoming obstacles our children will learn to believe they can succeed at challenging tasks.
Students also interpret how they feel after being successful and overcoming obstacles. When the accomplishment brings them positive physiological feelings they are more likely to develop self-efficacy.
The ways we discuss challenge, success, failure, and strategies with our children can also have a strong influence on developing self-efficacy. Much about this website will help you, as parents, talk with your children and respond to their successes, failures and challenges in ways that support the development of self-efficacy.
The research on self-efficacy is consistent. The belief of whether or not you have the capability, strategies, and work ethic necessary to be successful is more important to success than an objective evaluation of your skill level. This belief has been found to affect occupational success, social relationships, perseverance, resilience, and stress tolerance along with emotional conditions such as anxiety, phobias, depression, eating disorders, and drug and alcohol abuse. The focus of this website is the profound effect self-efficacy has on achievement.
Luckily, the research has also shown that self-efficacy beliefs can be modified. One of the most effective ways to develop self-efficacy is through mastery experiences. When a student works on a challenging project, overcomes obstacles, and eventually succeeds it is more likely that the student will believe she can be successful the next time she is faced with a challenge in the same domain. This is why it is so important to wisely and thoughtfully choose goals that are challenging yet attainable. Self-efficacy may drop whether goals result in repeated failures or are achieved with little effort.
Students can also develop stronger self-efficacy by watching other people overcome obstacles--as long as they believe the other person is at the same capability level as them ("If she can do it, I can do it."). As a parent you serve as a model for your child in many ways. As your child uses your behavior and characteristics to help define who she will be, modeling of self-efficacy behavior and attitudes on your part may help your child develop her own strong sense of self-efficacy.
Another source of self-efficacy is encouragement or praise from others. It is critical that we understand how praise can either support or detract from the development of self-efficacy. When we focus our praise on effort, strategies and overcoming obstacles our children will learn to believe they can succeed at challenging tasks.
Students also interpret how they feel after being successful and overcoming obstacles. When the accomplishment brings them positive physiological feelings they are more likely to develop self-efficacy.
The ways we discuss challenge, success, failure, and strategies with our children can also have a strong influence on developing self-efficacy. Much about this website will help you, as parents, talk with your children and respond to their successes, failures and challenges in ways that support the development of self-efficacy.
Recently, a parent shared her experiences with her child who is learning to play the piano. She said that her five-year-old daughter at first complained about how hard a piano piece was for her, insisting that she did not like it. Her mother told her to keep practicing and she may find that she likes the piece as she gets better at playing it. In truth, Mom was about to pull her own hair out at times. But, she and her daughter persisted.
After putting in the effort, her daughter did become proficient at the piece. Mom said with some excitement, “See, now doesn’t that feel good? You worked really hard, you didn’t give up, you kept practicing, and now you can do it.” Mom had also taken videos on her phone of her daughter first attempting the piece. The comparison really showed how much her daughter’s capabilities had grown. Next, they were scheduled to go to a meeting at the music school where other students were to demonstrate the progress they had made.
Each of the main supports for self-efficacy is demonstrated in this one example. The child achieved a mastery experience as was clearly evidenced in the before and after videos on her mother's phone. Her mother highlighted the positive emotional and physiological state that accompanied the achievement. Mom also verbally enumerated and supported her daughter's use of self-efficacy thinking and strategies. And, finally, the music school provided the opportunity for vicarious experience by arranging an opportunity for students to share their progress.
Carol Dweck, a research psychologist from Stanford University, has expanded this concept of self-efficacy into what she refers to as a growth mindset. Her contrast of the growth mindset to a fixed mindset is firmly established in her own research as well as drawing on the huge research base that exists on self-efficacy.
To learn more about this contrast take a moment to view a video discussing one of Dweck's experiments. Eduardo Briceno, the CEO of Mindset Works, has degrees in education, business, economics, and engineering. You can see the video by following the link below.
Carol Dweck, a research psychologist from Stanford University, has expanded this concept of self-efficacy into what she refers to as a growth mindset. Her contrast of the growth mindset to a fixed mindset is firmly established in her own research as well as drawing on the huge research base that exists on self-efficacy.
To learn more about this contrast take a moment to view a video discussing one of Dweck's experiments. Eduardo Briceno, the CEO of Mindset Works, has degrees in education, business, economics, and engineering. You can see the video by following the link below.
References
Briceno, E. (2012) The Power of Belief - Mindset and Succes. Retrieved from Online Website TEDxManhattanBeach at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pN34FNbOKXc
Dweck, Carol S. (2008) Mindset: The new psychology of success. Ballantine Books, NY.
Haggbloom S.J., Warnick R., Warnick J.E., Jones V.K., Yarbrough G.L., Russell, T.M., Borecky C.M., McGahhey R., Powell III J.L., Beaveers J. & Monte E. (2002). The 100 most eminent psychologists of the 20th century, Review of General Psychology, 6 (2) pp 139-152.
Lightsey, Richard. (1999). Albert Bandura and the Exercise of Self-Efficacy. Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy. 13:2 pp 158-166.
Usher, Ellen L., Pajares, Frank. (2008). Sources of Self-efficacy in school: Critical review of the literature and future directions. Review of Educational Research. 78:4 pp 751-796
Dweck, Carol S. (2008) Mindset: The new psychology of success. Ballantine Books, NY.
Haggbloom S.J., Warnick R., Warnick J.E., Jones V.K., Yarbrough G.L., Russell, T.M., Borecky C.M., McGahhey R., Powell III J.L., Beaveers J. & Monte E. (2002). The 100 most eminent psychologists of the 20th century, Review of General Psychology, 6 (2) pp 139-152.
Lightsey, Richard. (1999). Albert Bandura and the Exercise of Self-Efficacy. Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy. 13:2 pp 158-166.
Usher, Ellen L., Pajares, Frank. (2008). Sources of Self-efficacy in school: Critical review of the literature and future directions. Review of Educational Research. 78:4 pp 751-796