The Relationship between a Fixed Mindset and Stereotyping

So far this week I've completed three areas of my literature review, as I write them I've started to notice what parts need to be bolstered with additional research. One of those is the section I have on how grit and growth mindsets can reduce the stereotyping threat. This is when a person from a specific group feels pressured consciously or subconsciously to conform to certain norms that may not be beneficial to them.

For example, there is a stereotype that women are worse at math than men. If a girl hears this and accepts this she may attribute her low math grade to something genetic, something that no matter how hard she tries she won't be able to change or improve it. If you remember from a couple blog posts ago, this is what is known as fixed mindset. However, with a growth mindset this effect can be mitigated.

Statistically, most minorities tend to under perform on standardized tests. Researchers suspect that one of the reasons is due to the stereotype threat. This study was done with black students, they found that by working with them they could reduce this effect and raise their test scores.

Now, you may be wondering where there needs to be additional research. This is simply because out of all the articles I have looked at, there has not been one that uses the words grit and growth or fixed mindset. This is important to note because it means that I will be looking for similarities in behavior and not definitions. I'm not entirely sure if this would be considered acceptable in the scientific realm unless I could back it up with my own research.