Research

“Wings of Growth: A Mindset Intervention in Rural China” (Job Market Paper) 

with Juliana Silva Goncalves, Elif Incekara-Hafalir, Erte Xiao and Hui Xu

Abstract:  We evaluate the impact of a six-week growth mindset intervention conducted in 18 disadvantaged middle schools in rural China. In the short term, the intervention improved students’ socio-emotional skills, including strengthened growth mindset, stronger internal locus of control and moderately enhanced grit. However, we find no significant effects on academic performance or aspirations. At the six-month follow-up, the medium-term effects remained largely sustained, although weakened in size. Short-term benefits were more pronounced among male students, those with better baseline academic performance, and those who received more parenting. In the medium term, treatment effect heterogeneity persisted for baseline academic performance, weakened for parenting, and disappeared across gender.