Growth mindset and grit as psychological resources in later life : Age, socioeconomic, and health patterning in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing

Zaninotto, Paola and Knowles, Bran and Fledderjohann, Jasmine and Ashcroft, Alice and Steptoe, Andrew (2026) Growth mindset and grit as psychological resources in later life : Age, socioeconomic, and health patterning in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Other. medRxiv.

Abstract

Growth Mindset and Grit have been proposed as key psychological resources for resilience and adaptation, yet their manifestation and social distribution in later life remain underexplored. This study examines the structure, distribution, and correlates of Growth Mindset and Grit in older adulthood using proxy indicators in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA). Proxy indicators reflecting learning behaviour, personality traits, affect, and beliefs were used to derive three components of Growth Mindset (education-, personality-, and belief-based) and two components of Grit (affective- and personality-based). Multinomial logistic regression models examined associations with age, socioeconomic position, health, and cognitive functioning. Distinct distributional patterns emerged across components. Education-based Growth Mindset was concentrated in lower categories, whereas personality-, belief-, and affect-based components showed greater variability. Older age was associated with lower Growth Mindset, particularly in education- and belief-based domains, while associations with Grit were more nuanced, including a lower likelihood of low affect-based Grit among older adults. Higher educational attainment, employment, wealth, and better memory performance were associated with more favourable profiles across selected domains. Living alone and limiting longstanding illness were consistently associated with less favourable profiles. Growth Mindset and Grit appear to function as multidimensional and socially patterned psychological resources in later life. Belief-, personality-, and affect-based components capture meaningful variation even when formal learning declines, underscoring the importance of distinguishing opportunity-constrained indicators from dispositional domains in ageing research.