Reciprocal Associations Between Growth Mindset and Adolescent School Life Satisfaction: The Longitudinal Mediation Effect of Meaning in Life

Purpose: Prior research indicates that growth mindset and meaning in life promote school life satisfaction, yet the relationship between these three factors and their underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Patients and Methods: This study used Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Model (RI-CLPM) to examine the bidirectional longitudinal relationships between adolescents’ growth mindset and school life satisfaction, as well as examined the mediating role of meaning in life in this dynamic interplay. Using a cluster sampling approach, a two-year longitudinal study was conducted among 811 Chinese secondary school students using the Growth Mindset Scale, the Meaning in Life Questionnaire, and the School Life Satisfaction Rating Questionnaire for Adolescents. Results: The RI-CLPM results indicated that: (1) A bidirectional relationship exists between growth mindset and school life satisfaction. (2) At the within-person level, T2 meaning in life exhibited longitudinal mediating effects on the relationship between T1 growth mindset and T3 school life satisfaction. Conclusion: This study enhances our understanding of growth mindset, meaning in life and school life satisfaction. Specifically, the findings suggest that interventions targeting adolescents’ growth mindset may enhance their school life satisfaction, partly by strengthening their meaning in life. These insights offer considerable practical significance from a positive psychology perspective. Keywords: growth mindset, meaning in life, school life satisfaction, adolescents