Huberman Lab

Dr. David Yeager: How to Master Growth Mindset to Improve Performance

Mon Apr 15 2024

growth mindsetperformancestressmotivationhigh standardssupportdomain-specific mindsetsemotionspro-social motivationscriticismequity in education

Description

This podcast episode explores the concept of growth mindset and its impact on performance, stress, and motivation. Dr. David Yeager, a leading researcher in mindsets, discusses the science behind growth mindset interventions and their long-term positive effects on academic performance. The episode also delves into the role of stress as a performance enhancer and the importance of language in shaping our perception of stress. Additionally, it explores the relationship between social stressors, motivation, and optimal performance. The podcast highlights the significance of high standards and support in promoting growth mindset, particularly in educational settings. It also examines the influence of domain-specific mindsets and the power of growth mindset in driving personal development and overcoming challenges. The episode concludes with insights on emotions, motivation, and the future of growth mindset research.

Insights

Short growth mindset interventions can lead to long-term positive outcomes in academic performance.

Research shows that brief interventions focused on promoting growth mindset can have lasting effects on students' academic performance.

Stress can be a performance enhancer.

Contrary to popular belief, stress can actually optimize performance by providing more oxygenated blood to the brain and muscles.

Language plays a crucial role in shaping our perception of stress.

Reframing stress as a resource to be cultivated can enhance performance and change our physiological response to stress.

High standards and support are key to promoting growth mindset.

Creating an environment that combines high standards with support can foster a growth mindset and lead to better outcomes.

Domain-specific mindsets have a significant impact on behavior.

Beliefs about whether certain traits can change or not in specific domains influence individuals' behavior and motivation.

Emotions play a crucial role in driving motivation and decision-making.

Desire for something and fear of negative outcomes are two major types of emotions that drive motivation.

Motivating individuals through pro-social motivations leads to greater satisfaction and wellbeing.

Focusing on making contributions to others, rather than just avoiding loss or shame, leads to higher life satisfaction and wellbeing.

Criticism should be constructive and focused on improvement.

Constructive criticism that aims to help individuals improve is more effective than unnecessary negativity or personal attacks.

The future of growth mindset research lies in combining high standards with support.

Creating a system that values rigorous critique and support can lead to success for diverse groups of individuals.

Equity in education requires breaking the link between past advantages and future opportunities.

Standardized test scores can be influenced by various factors, leading to inequities. Mentoring and training can help bridge this gap.

Chapters

Summary

Transcript

Growth Mindset and Performance

00:00 - 14:15

Dr. David Yeager, a leading researcher into mindsets, discusses growth mindset and stress as a performance-enhancing mindset.
Dr. Yeager's book '10-25, the Science of Motivating Young People' focuses on motivating young individuals.
Research shows that short growth mindset interventions can lead to long-term positive outcomes in academic performance.
A short growth mindset intervention for ninth graders had long-lasting positive effects on academic performance and course choices.

Interventions for Growth Mindset

13:48 - 21:31

Participants are encouraged to write narratives about overcoming struggles to promote a growth mindset.
The concept of lay theory interventions involves changing individuals' interpretations through different stories.
Writing exercises help people recognize patterns of improvement and reinforce the idea that effort leads to growth.

Stress as a Performance Enhancer

21:06 - 29:06

Effort beliefs play a crucial role in growth mindset, as the default interpretation of effort as a sign of doing the wrong thing can lead people to quit.
The physiological responses to stress and frustration, such as increased heart rate and sweating, are often overlooked in growth mindset research.
The concept of stresses enhancing belief challenges the traditional view that stress is universally bad, suggesting that stress can actually help optimize performance by providing more oxygenated blood to the brain and muscles.

Language and Stress Perception

28:39 - 35:50

Changing your mindset about stress can lead to a change in stress physiology.
Reframing stress as a resource to be cultivated can enhance performance.
There is a deficit in language when it comes to interpreting internal readiness levels versus stress.
Small changes in language can perpetuate problematic lay theories about stress.

Social Stressors and Performance

35:22 - 43:17

Social stressors like the threat of social death can evoke physiological responses similar to physical stressors
The appraisal of a stressor plays a crucial role in determining its impact on an individual
Understanding the autonomic nervous system and one's arousal level can help in assessing one's readiness to face challenges
Distinguishing between challenge type stress and threat type stress is important for optimal performance

High Standards and Support

42:48 - 50:44

Matching perception of demand with belief in resources is crucial for success
Resources can be internal, like confidence, or external, like material support
Turning intense stress into a perceived resource can help cope and enhance performance
The mentor's dilemma involves balancing criticism with motivation to avoid crushing motivation
Effective leadership involves setting high standards while providing assurance of support for growth

High Standards and Support in Education

50:17 - 57:13

Students are more likely to view negative criticism positively if accompanied by transparent communication of high standards and support.
Even seventh graders are more likely to implement critical feedback when high standards and support are invoked.
The magic of high standards and support lies in the experience of dignity and respect, not just in the words themselves.
Children and people want to feel real and safe, believing that they are seen and believed even if there is disagreement.
Parents can have high expectations for their kids while showing love, striking a balance between being demanding and understanding.
Having a dynamic mindset as a teacher, leader, or coach is essential to effectively implement wise feedback mentorship.

Adolescence and Social Standing

56:46 - 1:03:52

Humans are driven by the pursuit of feeling better and seeking change.
Adolescence is a period where social standing and contribution value become crucial for feeling good about oneself.
Teenagers often strive to excel in specific niches within their social milieu to gain status.
Different high schools have varying social hierarchies, with multi-pyramid structures leading to better adjustment among students.

Domain-Specific Mindsets

1:03:27 - 1:10:41

Bullying in high school is often associated with those near the top of the popularity hierarchy.
Testosterone levels play a significant role in social learning and striving in both boys and girls.
Growth mindset can vary across different domains, with some people believing certain traits can change while others cannot.
Domain-specific mindsets are more predictive of behavior than general growth mindsets.
When addressing sensitive topics, it may be more effective to use abstract or indirect language to promote mindset changes.

Applying Growth Mindset

1:10:15 - 1:17:49

Using a growth mindset approach is more effective for individuals facing challenges compared to high achievers.
Supportive environments play a crucial role in applying and sustaining a growth mindset over time.
Psychological interventions like growth mindset should be seen as one tool in a toolkit, alongside sociological considerations, to help people achieve their goals.
Collaboration between psychologists and sociologists can lead to a more holistic approach in addressing inequality and behavior change.
Growth mindset focuses on asset-based perspective rather than deficit-based, presuming individuals already have motivation but face barriers.

The Power of Growth Mindset

1:17:22 - 1:24:57

Growth mindset presumes people already want to do well but face barriers like societal pressure.
Developmental psychology suggests humans are active learners trying to make sense of the world.
Growth mindset aims to remove negative beliefs learned from social context and promote a love of learning.
Psychological theories manifest in real-world actions, reflecting deep aspects of the human spirit.
Humans are inherently driven to overcome challenges, develop technologies, and grow.
Emotions play a significant role in driving goal pursuit and influencing decision-making in the brain.

Emotions and Motivation

1:24:28 - 1:32:12

Emotions play a significant role in driving tactical decisions and actions.
Two major types of emotions that drive motivation are desire for something and fear of negative outcomes.
Fear of loss can be more motivating than the prospect of gain, according to prospect theory.
Appealing to pro-social motivations can lead to more meaningful contributions and excellence in individuals.
Effective coaching involves selling a vision based on trust and long-term benefits rather than fear of loss.

Motivation and Contribution

1:31:45 - 1:39:23

Developing a reliable jump shot can lead to a successful and long-lasting career in professional sports.
Focusing on what you can do for others, rather than just avoiding loss or shame, leads to greater life satisfaction and wellbeing.
Emphasizing the purpose of making a contribution to others in tasks leads to higher persistence and better outcomes, compared to focusing on material rewards in the future.

Motivating Teenagers

1:38:56 - 1:46:08

Teenagers can be motivated by the chance to make a contribution right now, leading them to choose behaviors adults want them to do.
Appealing to the love of learning for the sake of others can motivate individuals to endure suffering and challenges.
Attaching goals to something that benefits others can make effort its own form of reward and change the meaning of failure and difficulty.
Reframing difficulty and failure as part of doing something with high integrity for others can be motivating and change the perception of effort.
Providing a higher purpose or 'Save the World' speech can inspire individuals to pay attention to details and tedious tasks by emphasizing the impact it will have on others.

Improving Scientific Research

1:45:46 - 1:52:55

Scrutiny in the scientific community is important for improving research quality.
Platforms like Pub Peer play a valuable role in evaluating and improving scientific papers.
Researchers should document their work meticulously to prevent errors and fraud accusations.
Motivating individuals with the idea of making contributions can enhance their dedication and focus.
Encouraging a contribution mindset alongside self-interest can be more motivating than purely prosocial motivations.

Designing for Impact

1:52:38 - 2:00:00

Adding a pro-social component to self-interest motivates individuals more effectively than just focusing on financial rewards.
Emphasizing the impact of products on users' lives can lead to better design choices and increased profitability.
Effective management involves mentoring employees to make contributions that benefit both the company and their personal growth.
Critiquing and identifying errors play a crucial role in maintaining integrity in scientific fields, but there is value in developing tools to minimize this burden.
There is a distinction between constructive criticism for improvement and unnecessary negativity online.

Criticism and Growth Mindset

1:59:44 - 2:06:55

Online behavior of being overly critical or attacking others may stem from a culture of fixed mindset and fear of being criticized themselves.
Criticism can sometimes be a form of self-protection rather than genuine feedback.
Organizational cultures that focus on genius and hide mistakes can lead to unethical behaviors and hinder growth.
Implementing punitive measures like stack ranking in companies may discourage transparency and problem-solving, leading to negative outcomes.

The Future of Growth Mindset

2:06:43 - 2:13:32

There is a discussion about the growth mindset field and the need for a new system to present information more accurately.
Having competing opinions in any field is valuable, but it's important to ensure critiques come from credible sources.
Examples are given of scientific enterprises that combine high standards with support, leading to success for diverse groups of students.
A lab at Vanderbilt uses a rigorous yet supportive approach to critique work, helping trainees grow and improve.
The importance of receiving critique from trusted sources within a community that cares about the mission and outcome is highlighted.

Equity in Education

2:13:02 - 2:20:13

In a community where everyone cares about the mission and outcome, trust in critique can be established.
Focus on motivation and drive is emphasized over standardized test scores or prior experience in selecting students.
Standardized test scores can be influenced by factors like training, high school teachers, and socioeconomic background, leading to inequities.
The importance of mentoring, training, and breaking the link between past advantages and future work for students admitted without relying on standardized test scores.
The speaker's interest in mindset research was influenced by their experiences with gymnastics as a child and studying great works in college.

Dr. David Yeager's Work

2:19:43 - 2:26:05

The speaker initially planned to go to law school but changed course after being inspired by a book and decided to focus on motivating young people.
The conversation touches on the idea of post hoc causal inference and how events can make sense looking back but not necessarily going forward.
Dr. David Yeager's work focuses on helping people be the best version of themselves for their own lives and for the world, incorporating neuroscience and motivation literature.
The discussion highlights Dr. Yeager's impactful research in motivating young people and the importance of his work in bringing out the best in individuals.
The podcast episode concludes with gratitude towards Dr. Yeager for sharing his insights and dedication to making a difference in people's lives.