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Implicit theories about intelligence and growth (personal best) goals: Exploring reciprocal relationships
Author(s) -
Martin Andrew J.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
british journal of educational psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.557
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 2044-8279
pISSN - 0007-0998
DOI - 10.1111/bjep.12038
Subject(s) - psychology , salient , reciprocal , development theory , structural equation modeling , social psychology , cognitive psychology , computer science , mathematics , statistics , artificial intelligence , philosophy , linguistics , economics , market economy
Background There has been increasing interest in growth approaches to students' academic development, including value‐added models, modelling of academic trajectories, growth motivation orientations, growth mindsets, and growth goals. Aims This study sought to investigate the relationships between implicit theories about intelligence (incremental and entity theories) and growth (personal best, PB ) goals – with particular interest in the ordering of factors across time. Sample The study focused on longitudinal data of 969 Australian high school students. Method The classic cross‐lagged panel design (using structural equation modelling) was employed to shed light on the ordering of Time 1 growth goals, incremental theories, and entity theories relative to Time 2 (1 year later) growth goals, incremental theories, and entity theories. Results Findings showed that Time 1 growth goals predicted Time 2 incremental theories (positively) and entity theories (negatively); Time 1 entity and incremental theories negatively predicted Time 2 incremental and entity theories respectively; but, Time 1 incremental theories and entity theories did not predict growth goals at Time 2. Conclusion This suggests that entity and incremental theories are negatively reciprocally related across time, but growth goals seem to be directionally salient over incremental and entity theories. Implications for promoting growth goals and growth mindsets are discussed.