Though these authors were referring to research on adolescents’ and adults’ self-concept, they enforce the message that possibility is more than a starting point for action, it is a main motivation for trying things that lead to growth. As of now there exists few valid measurements of a growth mindset in children younger than age 10 (Muradoglu et a

Our earliest ability to think about the possible is in place well before we have a concept of who we are, what we value, and what talents, abilities, or potential we bring to bear in the service of our bigger plans and goals. From the start of life, assessments of what is possible are instrumental in guiding actions and decisions; they tell us whet

Of course, possibility beliefs can, and often do, derive from abstract self-beliefs as we get older. But also, simple beliefs about possible actions and their limits might precede, and contribute to, the construction of our self-efficacy, our mindsets, and our identities over time.

Children in our studies who believe in possibility rarely cite libertarian ideas of “free will” (I am the ultimate authority over my actions and decisions). Instead, they sound like they are imagining hypothetical (and novel) solutions to social and psychological problems. This increasing willingness to transcend psychological, social, and moral li

Understanding the development of possibility beliefs can help us better understand how we come to believe it is possible to do something we have never experienced before. Where do new ideas about possibility come from? Why do we think it is possible to learn a new skill, pursue a career change, push the limits of performance in sports, write the gr

At first, preschoolers correctly distinguish possible and impossible actions but are overly pessimistic about limits on possibility. With age, children use their imaginations to overcome hypothetical limits. This account suggests that realistic beliefs about what we can possibly do are in place in early childhood, preceding later developmental mile

In general, the dynamics of possibility should not be thought of as confined to a particular period of life

possibility beliefs , for the purposes of this paper, are simply beliefs about our actions and their limits; they help us enumerate options and carve out pathways for action.