Growth Mindset in Intelligence and Personal Attributes: Examining the Role of Personality Traits, Self-Efficacy, Resilience, and Coping

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the role of personality traits, self-efficacy, resilience, and coping as predictors of mindset in intelligence and personal attributes. Mindsets can be defined as mental frameworks in which people hold beliefs about themselves or others, and these mindsets can have a large impact on the way individuals navigate situations. Fixed mindsets involve a belief that traits are unchangeable, whereas growth mindsets refer to traits as malleable. Personality traits, self-efficacy, resilience, and coping have all been correlated with mindsets, but these variables have not been examined in one model to assess their unique contributions. Questionnaires examining each of these variables were administered to 136 participants on Qualtrics. These participants were recruited from psychology classes at the University of New Brunswick in Saint John. The results indicated gender differences, with women scoring higher on mindset in intelligence, agreeableness, and negative emotionality, but lower on resilience compared to men. The two domains of mindset were highly correlated. Growth mindset in intelligence was correlated with higher scores on agreeableness, self-efficacy, and resilience. Growth mindset in personal attributes was significantly correlated with higher scores on agreeableness. Regression analyses revealed that self-efficacy contributed significantly to mindset in intelligence, as did resilience in a separate model. Regression analyses predicting mindset in personal attributes did not produce statistically significant models. These results are discussed in the context of factors impacting mindsets in undergraduate students.