Blackwell, Trzesniewski, and Dweck (2007)

Subdecks (2)

Cards (44)

  • A longitudinal study and an intervention.
  • Background
    In the USA the transition between elementary school to junior high (age 12) has many challenges (more competitive environment, social comparison, decrease in choice and decision making at a time when adolescents are aiming for more control).
  • The motivational model of achievement has been developed to help us understand why some students succeed under pressure at school while others do not
  • Many transitions individuals go through in adolescence.
  • Dweck and Leggat (1988) suggest that students may hold different beliefs about tier intelligence.
  • Some think that intelligence is fixed and so is unchangeable regardless of how hard you work (entity theory). Others believe that intelligence is flexible and with work, can be developed (incremental theory).
  • Henderson and Dweck (1990) found students who believed intelligence is flexible gained significantly higher grades during the first year of junior high school than those students who believed intelligence is fixed.
  • This study was designed to look at whether student’s theories of intelligence have a lasting effect across junior high school.