As adults, we can reflect on experiences we’ve had in life that have helped build our resilience. But kids and adolescents are still developing grit and the ability to work towards a goal.
The growth mindset theory holds a person’s beliefs about their ability can be developed through effort. The fixed mindset holds a person’s abilities are fixed and can’t be changed.
David Yeager, The University of Texas at Austin and Hae Yeon Lee, The University of Texas at Austin
While transitioning to the ninth grade can be stressful for many students, teaching students to be more optimistic can better enable them to cope with the challenges, research psychologists argue.