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Author: Laura King

Title: Psychological Constraints

Introduction: Introduce the term “mindset” and two types of mindsets with different

characteristics and failure definitions.

Thesis statement: “Your mindset influences whether you will be optimistic or pessimistic,

what your goals will be, how hard you will strive to reach those goals, and how successful

you are in college and after.”

Major supporting point 1: Discusses the effects of mindsets on learning, referencing

Dweck’s study on first-year pre-med majors, and highlights that students with a growth

mindset achieve higher grades.

Supporting details:

Fixed mindset students' reactions.

Read the text and notes for times; memorize details verbatim.

Poor performance on a test: think that the subject is unsuitable.

Growth mindset students' reactions.

Poor performance on a test: bounce on the next test and work hard to

fully understand the mistakes.

Study to learn, not just for tests.

Major supporting point 2: Dweck’s effective strategies to cultivate a growth mindset.

Supporting details:

Acknowledging that: intelligence and thinking can change.

Embracing challenging situations, stretching mind to overcome obstacles

Having an ideal successful model to learn from.

 See how they work and think.

Hard work, effort, time, and a growth mindset made their

success possible.

Learn from them.

Starting change with a clear plan.

When, where, and how to start using a growth mindset.

Major supporting point 3: The power of mindset on children at an early age (5 - 7 years

old) when faced with challenging tasks.

Supporting details:

Children with a fixed mindset’s reaction.

Criticize the requirement.

They scare, withdraw, and put themselves down.

Children with a growth mindset’s reaction.

Be energized by the task.

Focus and persisted on completing the task.

Successfully complete the requirements.

Conclusion: End with a notation that individuals should consider the limitations they impose

on themselves (women’s and minorities' absence in math and science, for example). Restate

the thesis statement: “Our beliefs about ability profoundly influence what we try to learn”.
 Nguyen 1

Nguyen Thi Hoang Giang

Ms. Nguyen Nhu Huyen

ERW421

26 May 2023

A Summary of “Psychological Constraints”

In 2013, McGraw-Hill Education published a succinct article called “Psychological

Constraints” - a part of the publication “Experience Psychology” - by Laura King, a PhD in

psychology from the University of Missouri-Columbia. King's article concerns the influence

of mindset on children’s attitudes, aspirations, levels of motivation, and achievements in

college and beyond.

Laura King first discusses the effects of mindsets on learning. The author references

Dweck's study and highlights that students with a growth mindset achieve higher grades with

a positive attitude. King cites that they utilize active learning techniques and gain insights

from their errors, while students with a fixed mindset tend to adopt a negative outlook and

employ passive learning methods.

To cultivate a growth mindset, King suggests employing specific strategies from

Dweck's research. These include acknowledging that intelligence and thinking are

changeable, embracing challenges and stretching the mind to overcome obstacles, learning

from successful individuals as role models, and initiating change with a well-defined plan.

King also highlights the power of mindset on children at an early age when faced with

challenging tasks. While children with a fixed mindset respond with criticism and fear, those

with a growth mindset exhibit perseverance and successfully complete the requirements.
 Nguyen 2

To conclude, Laura King states that individuals should consider self-imposed

limitations. She reiterates the thesis statement that mindset affects what individuals strive to

learn.
 Nguyen 3

Work Cited

King, Laura. "Psychological Constraints." Experience Psychology, McGraw-Hill, 2013, pp.

196-98.