The matter of motivation: Striatal resting-state connectivity is dissociable between grit and growth mindset

Abstract

The current study utilized resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine how two important non-cognitive skills, grit and growth mindset, are associated with cortico-striatal networks important for learning. Whole-brain seed-to-voxel connectivity was examined for dorsal and ventral striatal seeds. While both grit and growth mindset were associated with functional connectivity between ventral striatal and bilateral prefrontal networks thought to be important for cognitive-behavioral control. There were also clear dissociations between the neural correlates of the two constructs. Grit, the long-term perseverance towards a goal or set of goals, was associated with ventral striatal networks including connectivity to regions such as the medial prefrontal and rostral anterior cingulate cortices implicated in perseverance, delay and receipt of reward. Growth mindset, the belief that effort can improve talents, notably intelligence, was associated with both ventral and dorsal striatal connectivity with regions thought to be important for error-monitoring, such as dorsal anterior cingulate cortex. Our findings may help construct neurocognitive models of these non-cognitive skills and have critical implications for character education. Such education is a key component of social and emotional learning, ensuring that children can rise to challenges in the classroom and in life.

Neuroanatomical correlates of grit: Growth mindset mediates the association between gray matter structure and trait grit in late adolescence

“…Thus, our results provide additional evidence that growth mindset serves as a potential factor for cultivating grit among adolescent students. In addition, the association between growth mindset and the left DLPFC volume is consistent with previous findings demonstrating an association between growth mindset and RSFC of DLPFC and striatum (Myers et al, ). Using event‐related potentials (ERPs), Mangels, Butterfield, Lamb, Good, and Dweck () revealed that during a test of general knowledge, participants with growth mindsets exhibited lower P3 activity in the anterior prefrontal cortex, which is associated with error correction and conflict detection.…”

“…In summary, growth mindset might be a promising construct that can be shaped to improve the grit levels of individuals. In addition, at the neural level, some evidence has indicated that growth mindset and grit share common cortico‐striatal RSFC between the ventral striatum and the DLPFC (Myers et al, ). In light of these findings, growth mindset might mediate the associations between brain structures and grit.…”

The neurocognitive correlates of academic diligence in adolescent girls

“…It is also possible that a larger sample size with even more variability in diligence is needed to detect a stronger correlation between diligence and brain structure and function. This possibility should be investigated in future studies-so far only a handful of studies have investigated neural correlates of diligence and related constructs and very few have probed striatal functioning (Myers, Wang, Black, Bugescu, & Hoeft, 2016;Nemmi, Nymberg, Helander, & Klingberg, 2016).…”

Examining the relationship between grit and academic achievement within K‐12 and higher education: A systematic review

“…Grit's predictive role has been corroborated in educational, psychological and social constructs, such as mental health (Kleiman, Adams, Kashdan, & Riskind, ), student learning motivation (Myers, Wang, Black, Bugescu, & Hoeft, ), and success in school and the workplace (Eskreis‐Winkler, Shulman, Beal, & Duckworth, ). Within academic settings, empirical studies have repeatedly shown that grit plays a significant role in individual academic success (Akos & Kretchmar, ; Cosgrove, Chen, & Castelli, ; Duckworth & Quinn, ; Hodge, Wright, & Bennett, ), some failed to detect an association between grit and academic achievement (Al‐Mutawah & Fateel, ; Cross, ; Rojas, ).…”

“…Grit's predictive role has been corroborated in educational, psychological and social constructs, such as mental health (Kleiman, Adams, Kashdan, & Riskind, 2013), student learning motivation (Myers, Wang, Black, Bugescu, & Hoeft, 2016), and success in school and the workplace (Eskreis-Winkler, Shulman, Beal, & Duckworth, 2014).…”