Written by Katie Traversino and Edited by Catherine Zhang
In the past, psychologists have focused on understanding unhealthy mental states such as learned helplessness, the sense of powerlessness; and have since shifted towards promoting mental health improvement as a direct consequence of better understanding these mental states [1]. In recent years, society has advocated for the perspective that the process of achieving a goal rather than the goal itself provides growth and the development of a systems mindset.
A systems mindset is the recognition of connections between different problems applied to a greater purpose, despite the lack of an immediate reward [2]. This attitude requires the individual to focus on how to achieve a goal by building beneficial habits, rather than solely on what they want to achieve.
This way of thinking opposes goal-oriented structures by acknowledging that the process and quality of effort in reaching personal improvement is the key to growth instead of the attainment of the end goal. Rather than putting off happiness until each milestone is reached, one consciously and regularly invests thoughtful energy in one’s everyday life, even without a clear end goal in mind. Psychologists Carol S. Dweck and David S. Yeager concluded that perceiving our abilities as unchangeable led to insecurity among participants about the amount of effort that was required to reach a goal and ultimately discouraged their attempts. In contrast, system thinking perceives effort as a tool and regards challenges as an opportunity for growth, rather than a judgment of skill; therefore, levels of determination did not diminish [1].
The relation between the changeability of intelligence in challenging environments and general happiness was examined among college students by analyst Nancy Ortiz Alvarado. In the wellbeing study, randomly chosen university students were evaluated based on their subjective responses to the growth versus fixed mindset survey and Seligman’s Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, Achievement (PERMA) evaluation, combined with their academic performance represented by their average grades. The mindset survey defined a fixed mindset as the belief that intelligence is unchangeable, whereas, growth mindset students believed that intelligence is constantly evolving. The PERMA model evaluates the meaning placed by an individual on their life based on their perception of their attitudes, relationships, and involvement in life. The researchers found that students with higher growth mindset scores exhibited increased wellbeing and obtained high grades as compared to those with fixed mindset scores [3]. However, due to the subjectivity of the survey responses, the answers may be partial to an individual’s experience.
Psychologist Elliot T. Berkman argues that behavior can be split into the will, personal motivation, and the way, skills and knowledge, which are both required to achieve a goal. To enact a behavior change, one must stop rewarding an old action [4]. In other words, if a task is difficult, we must evaluate the value of this action and its connections to the future. Even if we are not immediately rewarded for the new behavior, the acknowledgement of its importance is enough to encourage the action. Most importantly, individuals looking to build a systems mindset must thoughtfully place value to their priorities and thus commence their journey towards self-improvement.
References:
- Dweck, C. S., Yeager, D. S. (2019). Mindsets: A View From Two Eras. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 14: 481–496.
- Bensberg, M. (2020). Developing a Systems Mindset in Community-Based Prevention. Health Promotion Practice, 1–9.
- Ortiz Alvarado, N. B., Rodríguez Ontiveros, M., & Ayala Gaytán, E. A. (2019). Do Mindsets Shape Students’ Well-Being and Performance? Journal of Psychology: Interdisciplinary and Applied, 153: 843–859.
- Berkman, E. T. (2018). The Neuroscience of Goals and Behavior Change Goals and the Four Types of Behavior HHS Public Access. Consult Psychol J., 70: 28–44.