ABSTRACT
90From a very young age, children begin to adopt specific mindsets about themselves and their potential, depending on their experiences at school, and with family and friends. They develop a belief about their own ability, which will have a knock-on effect on their achievement and success. Recent research carried out by Carol Dweck (2012) highlights what separates successful people from unsuccessful ones, is whether they think that their talents and qualities, and intelligence, are just fixed attributes that you are born with and can do nothing about, or whether these are traits that can be developed. These two different mindsets have significant implications for the way that children and young people develop their skills and view themselves. If children believe that their intelligence and qualities are fixed, then they believe that this is the best that they can do, and that their level of success and achievement is fixed. When they don’t do well at school or on different activities, they can view this as proof that they cannot do what is being asked, which then has an impact on their level of motivation and confidence. They try to appear capable and avoid all situations that may lead to failure, as these will question their competence and ultimately their self-worth.
