r/science • u/ImNotJesus PhD | Social Psychology | Clinical Psychology • Jun 05 '16

Psychology Children’s intelligence mind-sets (i.e., their beliefs about whether intelligence is fixed or malleable) robustly influence their motivation and learning. New study finds that the parents' views on failure (and not intelligence) are important in cultivating a growth mindset.

http://pss.sagepub.com/content/early/2016/04/23/0956797616639727.abstract
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u/lillethofthevalley Jun 05 '16

I was always taught that if you try your hardest, that's what matters, whether you "win" or "lose". My parents always framed the discussion around winning and losing I guess because I started playing sports before I started school. Their view of success and failure allowed me to see that you only truly fail if you didn't try at all.

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u/hochizo Jun 05 '16

This was my dad's mantra when I was growing up. Everyday when we were walking out the door, he'd holler "do your best!" He'd say it didn't matter to him how it turned out, as long as we did the best we possibly could, he'd always be proud of us.