Examining the Differential Effects of Mindset on Academic Effort and Achievement in Western and Chinese Cultures Using a Behavioral Measure Derived From PISA Process Data

The enhancing effect of growth mindset (the belief that intelligence is malleable) on academic achievement has been extensively documented in the Western culture. However, such effect is not evident in the Chinese culture. This study aims to illuminate this cultural heterogeneity by examining the mediating role of effortful learning behaviors. The sample comprises 15-year-old students from Western (Australia, United Kingdom, and United States) and Chinese (Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan) cultures who participated in PISA 2018. A path analysis shows that, in Western but not Chinese culture, growth mindset contributes positively to academic achievement, with effort playing a partial mediating role. Value of effort, another learning-related belief which is essential in Chinese students’ learning conception, similarly promotes academic performance partly through the mediation of effort, and this effect is most pronounced in the Chinese culture. The findings provide insights about how the effects of motivational beliefs may depend on the cultural context.