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How successful you are depends on your mindset, not just luck or innate genius. Believing you can improve by practice, rather than thinking talent is fixed, makes all the difference, says psychologist Carol Dweck. She is launching software called , designed to help children trapped in the wrong mindset, and tells Peter Aldhous why her ideas trump the usual self-help approach

You say that the key to success in life is to adopt a 鈥済rowth鈥� mindset as opposed to a 鈥渇ixed鈥� one. What do you mean by these terms?

People with a fixed mindset believe their basic qualities are carved in stone, so they are concerned about making their abilities look good. Those with a growth mindset believe their basic abilities can be cultivated through dedication and education. They are more concerned with stretching themselves. We鈥檝e shown that a growth mindset orients you towards learning, whereas a fixed mindset makes you wary of challenges. If the learning involves risk of failure, those with a fixed mindset are more likely to pass it up.

Which of your studies most vividly demonstrates the power of these mindsets?

A year ago we showed how, when they move to junior high school at the age of 12 or 13, when there is often a decline in grades. After a poor grade on an initial test, the students with fixed mindsets said that they would study less, try not to take that subject again 鈥� and consider cheating.

Why might a fixed mindset lead people to cheat?

Effort is seen as negative, and failures mean you lack ability. What鈥檚 left? You can withdraw from that field of endeavour, but if you鈥檙e required to pursue it, as in school, then maybe you will resort to other means.

Have you looked at how these mindsets operate at the level of brain activity?

We looked at the electrical activity in the brains of college students as they performed a difficult general-knowledge task, which showed whether they were entering a state of heightened vigilance. A second and a half after they typed in their answer to a question, they were told whether they were right or wrong. A second and a half after that, they were told what the right answer was. The students with the chronic fixed mindset entered a state of vigilance while waiting to learn whether they were right or wrong, and then that was that. But the students with the growth mindset entered a further state of vigilance while waiting to learn what the actual answer was.

Are people with a fixed mindset inevitably unsuccessful?

No. John McEnroe was one of the most talented tennis players ever and, despite his fixed mindset, he achieved great success. But he did not like to practise, he did not tend to address his weaknesses, and he often engaged in self-defeating tactics when he was losing. I can only imagine what he might have achieved if he鈥檇 had a growth mindset!

Are we born with one or other mindset?

I think there is some component that may be inborn. We know there are some kids who are very sensitive to mistakes and setbacks, while relatively impervious kids tear around the world come what may. However, we鈥檝e also shown that environment can play a huge role.

In a typical group of children starting school, what proportion is in each mindset?

We find that about a third of pre-school children have a fixed mindset and two-thirds have a growth mindset, except in very high-power environments like child day-care at an elite university鈥檚 business school. These kids tend to have more of a fixed mindset. They worry more about mistakes and being disapproved of. Maybe they have more pressure put on them by their parents, or have been told they are brilliant. As children move on after pre-school, we find that more of them move into a fixed mindset, so we get a 50:50 split. In adults, it鈥檚 about 50 per cent of each mindset, too.

What is your advice to parents who want to avoid trapping their children in a fixed mindset?

First, teach your child the growth mindset, and then praise effort, strategy and improvement. . This harms them.

鈥淒on鈥檛 praise your child鈥檚 talent. This harms them鈥�

How easy is it to influence people鈥檚 mindsets?

We have shown that you can put college students in a fixed or growth mindset by having them read compelling scientific articles that support one view or the other. After the students read the articles, we gave them a difficult reading comprehension test on which they did poorly, and asked them afterwards: 鈥淲ould you like to look at the tests of people who鈥檝e done worse than you, or better?鈥� The students who had read the articles supporting a fixed mindset chose to look at the work of people who had done worse. It made them feel better about themselves. But the students who had read the literature favouring the growth mindset overwhelmingly chose to look at the tests of people who had done better, so that they could learn new strategies. They also felt better about themselves.

Could more be done to foster growth mindsets in school?

In our study of the transition to junior high, a control group was given extensive training using study aids. The experimental group got those study aids but they also got several workshops in the growth mindset. They were told that every time they stretch themselves, the neurons in their brain form new connections, and over time they get smarter. They were also taught how to put that into practice in their schoolwork. Their grades rebounded, while those of the control group continued to decline.

Your new computer program, , is based on these workshops. How does it work?

Kids follow two hip teenagers through the program. The students interact with these virtual characters and make study plans for them. But the basic framework is learning about the brain. They鈥檙e told they can do things to make their brains work better. In that context they learn the growth mindset. Brainology is an owner鈥檚 manual for the brain.

You say you used to have a fixed mindset. Where did that come from?

I was raised in an era when there was tremendous faith that IQ tests measured something inherent. My sixth-grade teacher seated us around the room in order of IQ and assigned every privilege and responsibility on this basis.

How did you change your mindset?

Through my work. When we discovered the mindsets, I thought: 鈥淗ow could I be doing this research and not taking up challenges?鈥� As a result, I think my research became more adventurous. It was extremely difficult, initially, to study the mindsets, but I was ready to take on that challenge. Writing a popular book was also something I had never done before. My academic writing was clear and simple, but it had no personality. It was a matter of finding my speaking voice.

Do you have to put in constant effort to avoid slipping back into a fixed mindset?

Part of it is like flipping a switch, because you discover there is a new psychological way of being. But it takes a lot of effort, because you have immediate emotional reactions to things. You need to talk yourself back into a growth mindset at those points.

There are lots of self-help books urging us to adopt a positive attitude. How does your approach differ?

There鈥檚 evidence behind it. Second, many of these books are lists of what you should do 鈥� have confidence and so on 鈥� but they don鈥檛 reveal how you do that. I identify a core belief that creates a whole psychological world in which you might prefer to live.