Abstract: This research program aims to systematically investigate how a growth mindset fosters academic engagement by exploring its psychological mechanisms and neural foundations, and by developing and testing a novel synergistic intervention. Comprising 11 sub-studies organized into three major phases, the project seeks to bridge theoretical gaps and offer evidence-based strategies for enhancing students' sustained investment in learning.
Study 1 (5 sub-studies) employs multiple methodologies—including large-scale surveys, behavioral experiments, big-data analytics, and longitudinal tracking—to elucidate the psychological pathway through which a growth mindset influences academic engagement. We hypothesize that the positive effect of a growth mindset on engagement is significantly mediated by the sense of meaning in life. Specifically, individuals who endorse the malleability of intelligence (growth mindset) are more likely to perceive life—and their academic pursuits—as meaningful, which in turn drives deeper and more persistent engagement in learning activities. Cross-cultural analyses will further examine how cultural norms moderate this mediation pathway. To enhance causal inference, experimental manipulations of mindset will be utilized alongside rigorous controls for prior knowledge and learning motivation.
Study 2 (2 sub-studies) leverages cognitive neuroscience techniques to uncover the neural correlates underlying the relationship between growth mindset and academic engagement. Using Event-Related Potentials (ERP), Sub-study 2a investigates neurophysiological responses to performance feedback. We predict that individuals primed with a growth mindset will exhibit heightened neural sensitivity to errors (reflected in larger Pe amplitudes) and demonstrate greater behavioral adjustment (e.g., increased re-study time for incorrect items). Sub-study 2b employs functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) to map the shared neural circuitry. We focus on key regions implicated in error monitoring, cognitive control, reward processing, and meaning-making—such as the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), and striatum. The study tests whether growth mindset, meaning in life, and academic engagement converge within an integrated fronto-striatal network, providing a neural basis for the "belief-motivation-behavior" pathway.
Study 3 (4 sub-studies) introduces and evaluates an innovative, pre-registered synergistic intervention designed to enhance both growth mindset of intelligence (GMI) and growth mindset of meaning in life (GMML). Moving beyond traditional interventions that target intelligence beliefs alone, this approach concurrently cultivates the belief that one’s sense of meaning can also be developed. Utilizing a randomized controlled design with active and placebo control groups, the intervention will be administered to diverse adolescent populations, including students from under-resourced rural and migrant backgrounds, as well as those navigating critical educational transitions. We hypothesize that the synergistic intervention will yield stronger and more durable improvements in both meaning in life and academic engagement compared to the traditional GMI-only intervention. Longitudinal follow-ups will assess the stability of effects over time.
Theoretical integration is achieved through a proposed framework wherein a growth mindset enhances the sense of meaning in life, which then serves as a robust intrinsic motivator, driving sustained academic engagement. This psychological pathway is supported by overlapping neural systems involved in cognitive control, error processing, and value-based decision-making.
Innovations of this research include: (1) introducing meaning in life as a core mediator in the growth mindset-engagement link; (2) employing a multi-method neuroscience approach (ERP/fMRI) to delineate the shared neurocognitive foundations; and (3) designing and testing a first-of-its-kind synergistic mindset intervention targeting both intelligence and meaning beliefs.
Implications: Findings are expected to advance theory in educational psychology and social-cognitive neuroscience, while also providing a scalable, evidence-based intervention model. This model holds particular promise for supporting vulnerable student populations and promoting equitable educational outcomes by fostering resilient, meaning-driven engagement in learning.

Key words: academic engagement, growth mindset, growth mindset of meaning in life, meaning in life