Carol Dweck has been talking and writing about the dangers of a “false growth mindset” over the past year, and you can find links to those commentaries at The Best Resources On Helping Our Students Develop A “Growth Mindset.”

The Atlantic has new interview with her that they published today headlined How Praise Became a Consolation Prize.

Here’s an excerpt:

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A new edition of her book is apparently coming out with a section on her concerns about having a “false growth mindset.”

I’ve appreciated her recognition of how some might be applying her research harmfully, and wish others would take similar responsibilities for how their work is used. I’ve commented before about how I wish more researchers would not take a hands-off approach to what happens to their research after it’s published (“Once the rockets are up who cares where they come down that’s not my department,” says Wernher von Braun).

I’ve also expressed concerns about how Dweck addresses that point – in the past, she’s framed some of her critique of a false growth mindset as part of questioning the importance of deliberate practice. That is not present in her interview, though.

The bottom line, though, is that it’s a good discussion to be having…