Carol S. Dweck

Carol S. Dweck: Mindset, Learning, and the Development of Human Potential

Carol S. Dweck is a Stanford psychologist whose research examines motivation, self-conceptions, and achievement. She is best known for her work on fixed and growth mindsets: the beliefs people hold about whether abilities are largely unchangeable or can develop through learning.

Her book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success brings these ideas to a broad audience through examples from education, parenting, work, and relationships. Dweck explores how beliefs about ability can shape the way people approach difficulty, interpret setbacks, and respond to feedback. Her research also considers the influence of teachers and the environments in which learning takes place.

Dweck’s work encourages attention to the process of development: the strategies people use, the support available to them, and their willingness to keep learning. It offers a framework for discussing how our assumptions about ourselves and others can open or restrict opportunities for growth.