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Myers-Miller – A growth mindset intervention increases research community belonging in underrepresented minority and first-generation undergraduates

 

A growth mindset intervention increases research community belonging in underrepresented minority and first-generation undergraduates (2024)

Undergraduate: Isabel Myers-Miller


Faculty Advisor: Sabrina Robertson
Department: Psychology and Neuroscience

Students who believe that intelligence is malleable rather than fixed – who hold a growth mindset – often experience greater motivation, enhanced ability to cope with challenges, and increased academic performance. Research on the effects of encouraging adoption of a growth mindset using a mindset intervention has produced mixed results. However, several studies have suggested that marginalized groups of students, who are often underrepresented in STEM and face additional stress, may benefit most from implementation of growth mindset interventions. We examined the effects of a mindset intervention on the development of research-related skills in an upper-level neuroscience course. Research-related skills are challenging to learn, and many students experience stress and frustration during the process and may give up. This is the first mindset intervention to be applied in a course focused on research-related skills development. Differences were observed based on student race and generation status, but not sex. Underrepresented minority students and first generation students who completed the mindset intervention experienced significantly greater development of a sense of belonging in a research community compared to all other groups. First generation intervention students also experienced the greatest gains in the skill of presenting research. Given the connection between research community belonging and career pursuit, these findings propose our growth mindset intervention as a simple tool to increase persistence among marginalized students in STEM fields.