Support for resettling refugees: role of fixed-growth mindsets
Journal
Psychological Science
Subject
Organisational Behaviour
Publishing details
Authors / Editors
Madan S;Basu S;Rattan A;Savani K
Biographies
Publication Year
2019
Abstract
Six studies (N=2,340) identify one source of people’s differential support for resettling refugees in their country—their beliefs about whether the kind of person someone is fixed (i.e., a fixed mindset) or can be changed (i.e., a growth mindset). US and UK citizens who believed that the kind of person someone is can be changed were more likely to support resettling refugees in their country (Studies 1-2). Study 3 identified a causal relationship between fixed-growth mindsets and people’s support for resettling refugees. Importantly, people with a growth mindset were more likely to believe that refugees can assimilate in the host society, but not that they should assimilate; and the belief that refugees can assimilate mediated the relationship between people’s mindsets and their support for resettling refugees (Studies 4-6). The findings identify an important antecedent of people’s support for resettling refugees, and provide novel insights into the science of mindsets.
Keywords
Refugees; Lay theories; Mindsets; Fixed-growth; Assimilation
Available on ECCH
No
