It is a subject I’ve wondered about for some time: What causes some people to engage in their schoolwork and others to shrug it off? What motivates some to academic success and others to academic failure?

Well, a recent article in Scientific American puts forward one theory: The difference hinges upon how parents (and, I warrant, teachers) communicate with their children about intelligence, skills, and work. Now, I admit that I’m not one for “blame the parent” theories, but the explanation put forward here by Carol S. Dweck is truly compelling.

The problem, according to Dweck, is a tendency to overemphasize intellect or talent, and to imply that these characteristics are innate and fixed. This causes people to feel vulnerable to failure, fearful of challenges, and unmotivated to learn. It also causes them to feel helpless, since “innate intelligence” is not a trait that is within their power to control. In other words, a person with a “fixed mind-set” might feel this way: My failure to solve this problem is because “I am not smart enough” to do it; therefore, there is nothing I can do to change it. I better just stick to the problems I know that show me to be smart.

The solution is to share a “growth mind-set.” This encourages people to focus on effort instead, and produces high achievers in school and life. As a result, they feel that they are able to master the challenges they face, through hard work. In other words, a person with a “growth mind-set” might feel this way: My failure to solve this problem is because it is a tough problem, but I just haven’t worked hard enough at it yet! I can keep at it and work it out.

To encourage the sort of … well, what I tend to call “stick-to-it-iveness” demonstrated by the growth mind-set, parents and teachers should:

• Praise effort or persistence instead of intelligence or talent.
• Share success stories about hard work and love of learning.
• Teach children about the brain as a “learning machine.”

The full text of Dweck’s article is mandatory reading for any parent who wants their children to succeed (and isn’t that every parent?). Her recommendations are based on years of research; her studies are briefly described in the article. (Very briefly. This isn’t a heavy research piece.)

As a parent of young children who are forming their perspectives about work and talent, success and failure, I found this article to be both eye-opening and somewhat jolting. (For example, perhaps I shouldn’t have praised my four-year-old’s memory quite so directly; since I did, I have noticed a heightened sensitivity about things he has trouble remembering.) At least Dweck’s article gives me a context for one reason why that may be the case—and a pretty good idea of what I might do to change that.

I want my children to be the type of people who, when the going gets tough, get tough back. I want them to have the “stick-to-it-iveness” they need to solve whatever problems come their way. What do you think? Are Dweck’s recommendations the way to go?

Based on my own experiences, they seem to be a good place to start. I will be sharing—and talking about—Dweck’s article with all of the parents I know.