A positive attitude, what researchers call a "growth mindset" or belief in growth, is associated with both higher willpower and passion, according to a new large study.
People who believe they will succeed are far more passionate and have greater willpower than those who do not have the belief, says Hermundur Sigmundsson, a professor at the Department of Psychology at NTNU.
Sigmundsson has worked for many years to find out what makes people succeed in their goals. Now he and Professor Monika Haga at NTNU'S Department of Teacher Education have joined forces.
Assessed passion, willpower and attitude
The two looked at 1,548 participants aged 13 to 77 to assess various factors needed to become good at something. First, they considered the participants' passion, determination and belief that they would succeed in their goals. Here, of course, there are large individual differences.
Then, they compared the participants who had the most positive attitude with the participants who had the least belief that they would succeed. The differences are clear.
"We find large differences in passion and determination when we compare the five per cent who have the most positive attitude with the five percent who are the most negative," Sigmundsson said.
These groups are different. High passion and determination are directly related to positive attitudes in adults.
Can help motivate us
"Our results can help us better understand the connections between different factors. These are in turn related to how satisfied people are with their lives, how they feel, what they have already achieved and learning," Sigmundsson said.
When we know more about what characterizes people with different attitudes, we can also better understand how we can motivate different groups. We can thus get people to set long-term goals and make an effort to achieve these goals. This is what Sigmundsson calls "getting the I CAN feeling".
"The belief in growth is important for large parts of our society. This is true for school, sports, work and family life," he said.
Reference: Hermundur Sigmundsson, Monika Haga, Passion and grit in individuals with high levels of growth mindset are different than in individuals who have low growth mindset , Acta Psychologica, Volume 250, 2024, 104480, ISSN 0001-6918. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2024.104480
