The Growth Mindset and Goal Setting (Orienting)
Robert Marshak (2019) defined mindsets as “the constellation of conscious and unconscious assumptions, beliefs, premises, and frameworks that shape how something is interpreted and the resulting reactions and responses” (p. 26). Dr. Carol Dweck (2008) is known for coining the term “growth mindset” as an outgrowth of her pioneering research with junior high school students. Dweck found that students who believe that intelligence is a fixed trait stop trying when confronted with a challenge because they’ve convinced themselves that they’re not good at a school subject. Her research suggested that a better strategy is to foster a “growth mindset” – the belief that the brain is like a muscle that can grow stronger through hard work. Those with a fixed mindset focus on problems, get bogged down in details, and use avoidance strategies. In contrast, those with a growth mindset focus on solutions and can persist toward their goals.
Dr. Kevin Ochsner (2017) suggested three strategies to shift to a growth mindset. These include experimentation, focusing on progress, and learning from others. Experimentation entails trying out a new, likely uncomfortable behavior and requires conscious focus. This deliberate focus taxes the brain’s resources, especially the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. New or novel experiences, like experimentation, wake up the attention process and help create new neural connections (Doidge, 2015). Focusing on progress also requires accessing the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus to record and remember what works and what doesn’t. Focusing on improvement helps strengthen new neural patterns and lessen the chances of slipping back into unconscious habits. Learning from others requires consciously choosing to perceive constructive feedback as a growth opportunity. Because unasked for feedback can trigger an amygdala threat and shut down learning, it is essential to solicit constructive feedback.
Goal Setting, Implementation Intentions, Mental Contrasting (Lasting)
In addition to the neuroscientific research, many studies have been conducted to identify and substantiate critical practices and attitudes associated with goal achievement (Achtziger et al., 2009; Gollwitzer, 1993; Gollwitzer et al., 2000; Gollwitzer & Sheeran, 2006; Oettingen, 2012, 2014; Oettingen & Gollwitzer, 2010). Findings from these studies substantiate the importance of 1) focusing on both goal setting and goal implementation, 2) framing goals toward achieving a positive outcome, as opposed to framing them to avoid a negative, 3) setting goals to which one is firmly committed, and 4) setting goals that are close in time and have specific criteria for measuring achievement. Ludwig, Srivastava, and Berkman (2018) suggest that even brief training in “specific patterns of thought” familiar to those who naturally achieve goals can make a significant difference for those who are not naturally inclined to be planful.
There is ample research (Gross, 1998a, 1998b) demonstrating that reappraisal, or reframing an emotionally laden stimulus in a more thoughtful manner, lowers the threat response. Reframing, put simply, means considering other perspectives and finding a more positive way to view a situation or event. When we reframe, we activate both our prefrontal cortex and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (Miller & Cohen, 2001; Prehn, 2012). This, in turn, decreases the activity in the amygdala and insula, the areas that process our negative emotions (Prehn, 2012). It takes a conscious effort, or top-down control, to pause and identify an interpretation that lowers the threat response. It also takes conscious effort to achieve a goal, especially if it requires us to change habitual behavior. Based on a review of 94 studies (Gollwitzer & Sheeran, 2006), forming an implementation intention helps when one is committed to a goal. Implementation intentions are formed by identifying the specific obstacles to achieving a purpose, and specifically the situational cue, and then deciding what one will do when encountering that situational cue in the future.
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