Mindsets & Other-focused Attitudes and Behaviors

ABSTRACT The positive relationship between a growth mindset (the belief that attributes are malleable, as opposed to fixed) and various positive outcomes, such as academic success and goal setting, has been demonstrated across numerous studies and meta-analyses. The current research explored the relations between a growth mindset and other-focused attitudes and behaviors —trust in the food supply chain, openness to food-related innovations, and prosocial behavior. We found a positive association between a growth mindset and trust in the food supply chain, across six countries. We further found a positive association between a growth mindset and consumers’ openness to food-related innovations. Finally, the results of two meta-analyses suggest that the relationship between a growth mindset and prosocial behavior is positive, although weak. However, no causal effect of a growth (vs. fixed) mindset on prosocial behavior was found. These studies highlight the relevance of a growth mindset in consumers’ other-focused attitudes and behaviors but also question its direct causal role and call for future research of mechanisms and boundary conditions.