The growth mindset meaning system: A cross-cultural comparison between US and China

• In Event: Situating Growth Mindset across Contexts and Cultures: Experiential, Environmental, and Developmental Influences

Abstract

Objectives
The growth mindset, the belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed through effort, learning, and persistence, has gained significant research attention. Researchers emphasize understanding it as a system of beliefs, goals, and behaviors, rather than an individual belief. The growth mindset system may vary across cultures, yet research has not extensively explored these differences.

Theoretical Framework
This study examined differences in the growth mindset system between the United States and China. These countries have distinct cultural contexts and beliefs about learning and academic success (Li, 2012), which might influence students' growth mindset systems. We asked two key questions: (1) which factors in the growth mindset system are most central for American and Chinese students? (2) are there cross-cultural differences in the growth mindset system between American and Chinese students?

Methods
16,896 15-year-old students from the US (n = 4,838, 49.1% females) and China (n = 12,058, 47.9% females) were analyzed. Psychometric network analysis examined students' growth mindset systems. Network evaluation was conducted for overall, US, and Chinese samples, followed by centrality indices calculation and network invariance tests across networks.

Results
Figure 2 illustrates growth mindset meaning's network structure. For the overall sample, mastery-approach goal was most critical, followed by persistence and effort beliefs. In the American sample, mastery-approach goals were most central, followed by persistence and effort beliefs. For Chinese students, effort beliefs were most central, followed by persistence and mastery goals. Growth mindset showed strong negative association with fear of failure. Figure 3 shows variables' centrality indexes. Mastery-approach goals were most central in overall and U.S. networks, while effort beliefs were central for Chinese students.
Table 1 shows the network invariance test results. The network invariance test demonstrated significance in comparing the three networks, indicating different network structures across cultures. For Chinese students, associations between mastery-approach goals with positive effort beliefs, persistence, and effort were weaker (Edgediff = -0.04, p <.05), while the relationship with fear of failure was stronger (Edgediff = 0.03, p <.05).

Significance
Our results revealed cross-cultural similarities and differences. For both American and Chinese students, mastery-approach goals, persistence, and positive effort beliefs were critical in the growth mindset meaning system. However, key differences emerged. Mastery-approach goals were most central for American students, while positive effort beliefs were most central for Chinese students. Growth mindset was more strongly negative associated with fear of failure for Chinese students. These differences reflect cultural learning variations. For American students, learning is primarily cognitive, explaining the centrality of mastery-approach goals. For Chinese students, learning and effort have moral connotations, explaining the centrality of effort beliefs. Our results show the importance of cultural context in shaping students' growth mindset systems.

Authors

• Yi Wang, Macau University of Science and Technology

• Norman B. Mendoza, The Education University of Hong Kong

• I Marie Joy Santillana Gallemit, Chinese University of Hong Kong

• Ronnel B. King, Chinese University of Hong Kong