Intelligence in Context: A Context-specific Mindset Measure Better Predicts Outcomes for Science and Math Undergraduates
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Introduction: Mindsets (beliefs about whether intelligence is malleable or fixed) have been studied in a variety of contexts for decades. Mindset theory has been celebrated for exciting potential of low-cost interventions to improve student outcomes. However, mindset theory has also been criticized for inconsistency and uneven replications. To advance our understanding, recent research highlights the importance of contextual factors that moderate the relationship between mindset and outcomes. The current research also points to the importance of context in measurement. The commonly-used original mindset measure is context-general. Recently, a mindset measure that is specific to science and math undergraduates (the Undergraduate Lay Theories of Abilities [ULTrA] Survey) was developed. I hypothesized that a context-specific measure of mindset would produce stronger associations with psychosocial and academic outcomes than a context-general measure.Methods: I surveyed 1,537 undergraduates with the original mindset measure and ULTrA along with measures of psychosocial outcomes (sense of belonging, goal orientation, self-handicapping, evaluative concern) and academic outcomes (intent to persist in science). I also collected science and math course grades at the end of the semester. I compared the predictive efficacy of the two measures by comparing the effect sizes of associations of each measure with the outcomes. First, I compared correlation coefficients. Second, I fit a series of Structural Equation Models (SEMs) and compared the strength of beta parameters. Finally, I examined the change in amount of variance in outcomes explained by the ULTrA above and beyond the original mindset measure.Results: Across all analyses, the ULTrA exhibited stronger and more consistent relationships with outcomes than the original mindset measure. Both correlation coefficients and SEM beta parameters revealed that the ULTrA was significantly (p < 0.001) associated with all outcomes in this study. In contrast, the original mindset measure was significantly associated with only the psychosocial outcomes and not the academic outcomes (intent to persist and course grade). For the psychosocial outcomes, the ULTrA correlation coefficients and beta parameters were a higher magnitude than the original mindset measure. Finally, analysis of an SEM including both measures indicated that ULTrA explains variance in all outcomes (except for performance-avoid goal orientation) above and beyond what the original mindset measure explains (Δ R2 ranged 0.05 – 0.18).Conclusion: Our results provide evidence that the context-general original mindset measure can fail to detect relationships between mindset beliefs and outcomes that can be detected by a new, more context-specific measure of mindset, the Undergraduate Lay Theories of Abilities (ULTrA) Survey. This could suggest that previous replication failures may be due, at least in part, to the absence of a precise measure. This new measure could potentially be used to explore and mitigate the replication issue with respect to mindset research in undergraduate education contexts.
Source: CBE—Life Sciences Education
Author: Lisa B. Limeri
Institution: Texas Tech University
Language: English
Subfield: Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4408235560