Chapter 26: Quiz
1. The meta-analytic relationship between growth mindset and academic achievement is approximately: - A) r = 0.50 (strong) - B) r = 0.30 (moderate) - C) r = 0.10 (small — explaining ~1% of variance) - D) r = 0.00 (no relationship)
Answer: C. Sisk et al. (2018) found r = 0.10 — mindset explains approximately 1% of the variance in academic outcomes.
2. Yeager et al. (2019) tested growth mindset in a large pre-registered study (N > 12,000) and found: - A) A large effect for all students (d = 0.50) - B) A tiny overall effect (d = 0.03), slightly larger for at-risk students (d = 0.10), and essentially zero for typical students - C) No effect for anyone - D) That growth mindset cured learning disabilities
Answer: B. The study found very small effects overall, with slightly larger effects for lower-achieving students.
3. "False growth mindset" (Dweck's term) refers to: - A) People who claim growth mindset but actually have fixed mindset - B) The superficial adoption of growth mindset language without genuine change in practices or environment - C) A type of mindset that doesn't exist - D) Growth mindset that works too well
Answer: B. Dweck coined the term to describe organizations and individuals that use the language without creating environments that actually support growth.
4. The corporate growth mindset problem occurs when: - A) Companies genuinely support employee development - B) Companies use growth mindset rhetoric to blame individual employees for systemic problems (poor management, excessive workload, inadequate resources) - C) Companies invest too much in training - D) Employees resist growth opportunities
Answer: B. The corporate misuse turns "you can grow through effort" into "your failure to thrive in our broken system is your mindset problem."
5. Dweck's original finding about praise was: - A) All praise is harmful - B) Children praised for intelligence were more likely to avoid challenges and give up; children praised for effort persisted and chose harder tasks - C) Praise has no effect on children - D) Only verbal praise works
Answer: B. This is one of the most replicated and practical findings from the growth mindset literature.
6. Mindset is best understood as: - A) A binary — you have either growth or fixed mindset - B) A dimension that varies by domain, context, and time — most people have both growth and fixed elements - C) Determined entirely by genetics - D) Unchangeable after childhood
Answer: B. Mindset is dimensional and context-dependent. The binary framing oversimplifies.
7. The chapter's overall verdict on growth mindset is: - A) Completely debunked - B) The core insight (beliefs about ability affect motivation) is real, but the pop version vastly overstates the effect sizes, the interventions don't produce large effects, and corporate adoption has sometimes been harmful - C) Fully supported — the most important finding in education - D) Only relevant to children
Answer: B. Growth mindset captures something real but has been oversold. The effect is small, the interventions are modest, and the concept has been misapplied.
8. Compared to mindset, which factor has a STRONGER effect on academic achievement? - A) Socioeconomic status - B) Prior knowledge - C) School quality - D) All of the above
Answer: D. Socioeconomic status, prior knowledge, cognitive ability, and school quality all explain substantially more variance in academic outcomes than mindset (~1%).
9. Dweck has stated that growth mindset is "not just about effort" but also about: - A) Natural talent - B) Trying new strategies and seeking input when stuck — creating environments that support learning - C) Working harder without changing approach - D) Positive thinking only
Answer: B. Dweck has been explicit that mindset isn't about "just try harder" — it's about strategic learning and environmental support.
10. The most evidence-based version of growth mindset advice is: - A) "Believe in yourself and you can achieve anything" - B) "Encourage a growth orientation (effort praise, strategy-seeking, embracing challenges) while also providing the structural support, resources, and quality instruction that make growth possible" - C) "Don't ever praise children" - D) "Mindset is all that matters"
Answer: B. The evidence supports growth orientation COMBINED with material conditions for growth — not mindset as a substitute for resources.