A weight‐related growth mindset increases negative attitudes toward obese people. Issue 9 (21st August 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hooper, Nic; Crumpton, Alison; Robinson, Michael D.; Meier, Brian P.
• Is Part Of: Journal of applied social psychology. Volume 48:Issue 9(2018)
• Page Start: 488
• Page End: 493
• Publication Date: 2018-08-21
• Subjects: attitudes -- mindset -- obesity; Social psychology -- Periodicals; Behavior -- Periodicals; Psychology, Social -- Periodicals; 302
• DOI: 10.1111/jasp.12528
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0021-9029

Abstract

Abstract: In implicit personality theory, people with entity views or a fixed mindset perceive characteristics (e.g., intelligence) as uncontrollable, whereas people with incremental views or a growth mindset perceive characteristics as controllable. In addition to other benefits, the literature sometimes suggests that having a growth mindset will protect against prejudice, which the current two studies examine in terms of negative attitudes toward obese people. Participants (total N = 501) were randomly assigned to complete a questionnaire assessing attitudes toward an obese or nonobese person and a self‐theory questionnaire also assessed ideas about body weight. People with a growth mindset, and not fixed mindset, were more likely to have negative attitudes toward obese individuals, pointing to a potential downside of growth mindset in the obesity domain.