Both Student and School Growth Mindsets are Linked with Well-being

Past studies on growth mindsets have mostly investigated the role it plays in students’ learning. However, whether and how it relates to well-being has received less empirical attention. Furthermore, past studies have primarily focused on growth mindset as an individual belief (i.e., student-level growth mindset). However, research has shown that growth mindset can also be conceptualized as a collective belief of the group in which the individual belongs (i.e., school-level growth mindset). To address these gaps, the present study aims to examine the associations between growth mindsets at both the individual and school levels and well-being. Drawing on data from 29,113 students from Greater China (Mainland China, Macau, Hong Kong, and Chinese Taipei), we examined the role played by student- and school-level growth mindsets on various aspects of hedonic (life satisfaction and positive and negative affect) and eudaimonic (meaning in life and social well-being) well-being. Results showed that student-level growth mindset was associated with all aspects of hedonic and eudaimonic well-being, whereas school-level growth mindset was related to life satisfaction, lower negative affect, and social well-being. More importantly, the relation between growth mindset and well-being was stronger in growth-oriented school contexts. The findings support the significant role played by the psychological affordances provided by the school context in the relation between students’ growth mindset and well-being.