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Abstract This study explores how caregiver–child scientific conversation during storybook reading focusing on the challenges or achievements of famous female scientists impacts preschoolers' mindset, beliefs about success, and persistence. Caregiver–child dyads (N = 202, 100 female, 35% non‐White, aged 4–5, ƒ = .15) were assigned to one of three storybook conditions, highlighting the female scientist'sachievements,effort, or, in abaselinecondition, neither. Children were asked about their mindset, presented with a persistence task, and asked about their understanding of effort and success. Findings demonstrate that storybooks highlightingeffortare associated with growth mindset, attribution of success to hard work, and increased persistence. Caregiver language echoed language from the assigned storybook, showing the importance of reading storybooks emphasizing hard work.
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The development and predictors of a preference for strivers over naturals in the United States and China
Abstract Across three pre‐registered studies (n = 221 4–9‐year olds, 51% female; 218 parents, 80% female; working‐ and middle‐class backgrounds; data collected during 2019–2021) conducted in the United States (Studies 1–2; 74% White) and China (Study 3; 100% Asian), we document the emergence of a preference for “strivers.” Beginning at age 7, strivers (who work really hard) were favored over naturals (who are really smart) in both cultures (R2ranging .03–.11). We explored several lay beliefs surrounding this preference. Beliefs about outcomes and the controllability of effort predicted the striver preference: Children who expected strivers to be more successful than naturals and believed effort was more controllable than talent preferred strivers more. Implications of the striver preference in education and beyond are discussed.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2145809
- PAR ID:
- 10465342
- Publisher / Repository:
- Wiley-Blackwell
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Child Development
- Volume:
- 95
- Issue:
- 2
- ISSN:
- 0009-3920
- Format(s):
- Medium: X Size: p. 593-608
- Size(s):
- p. 593-608
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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