Mindset and effort during a self-adapted arithmetic task: Variable- and person-oriented approaches.

Most of the literature on the relation between mindset and effort depends on subjective self-reports, which may not reliably capture the actual investment of effort. In the current study we (1) operationalized mental effort as the chosen and executed difficulty level in a self-adapted arithmetic task, and (2) combined variable-oriented and person-oriented analytic approaches, with the latter allowing us to explore qualitatively different profiles of effort investment. First-year Dutch high-school students (n = 299; aged 11–14 yrs) chose difficulty levels of arithmetic problems in 20 rounds. Linear Mixed Modeling (variable-oriented approach) and Latent-Profile Analysis (person-oriented approach) were used and associations with mindset, errors, gender, and school achievement (standardized arithmetic test, and math grades) were explored. For male students, mindset affected their choices independently of errors, while for female students, mindset only played a role when they experienced the setback of errors. Only for males, effort mediated the relation between mindset and standardized arithmetic scores. Additionally, we identified five effort profiles: (1) Avoiders, (2) Exploring challengers, (3) Challengers, (4) Explorers and (5) Steady. Two profiles were more growth-oriented (2 and 3), and two more fixed-oriented (1 and 5). This study adds to the literature by demonstrating a gender-moderated relation between mindset and an objective measure of effort, but also important nuances as indicated by individual differences in effort strategies. • Previous mindset studies were limited due to subjective measures of mental effort. • Mental effort was measured as chosen difficulty level during an arithmetic task. • Variable-oriented and person-oriented analytic approaches were combined. • For girls, mindset only affected effort investment when they committed errors. • Five profiles demonstrated important individual differences in effort strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]