The results were stark: Eighty percent of these “mastery-oriented” children maintained the same level of problem-solving ability on the tough questions as they had on the easy ones. And a smaller portion, about 25 percent, actually improved their strategy levels. These children weren’t any smarter, but they outperformed the children who felt helpless. Dweck went on to show that the two types of children had different goals. The helpless kids were preoccupied with their performance. They wanted to look smart even if it meant avoiding the difficult problems. The mastery-oriented children were
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