Dweck’s Mindset Theory Applied to Addictions: a Scoping Review

Purpose of review Mindset theory has been applied to a wide range of educational and health topics, and more recently, to addictions. The present preregistered scoping review was conducted, following the PRISMA-ScR guidelines, in order to answer three questions: (1) To what extent has mindset theory literature been linked to addiction research (including substance addiction and behavioral addiction)? (2) What interventional tools based on mindset theory have been used, in this context, in order to improve patients’ health, and to what effects? (3) What gaps and limitations exist in today’s literature, and where to guide future research in order to properly assess the effects of mindset theory on addictions? Recent findings Database search included APA PsychINFO and PubMed, and a manual search was also conducted. A total of 1903 documents were reviewed. Screening processes resulted in the inclusion of 18 articles. Analysis revealed that the field is still in a nascent state. More research is needed in order to properly evaluate the effect of mindset theory on addictions. Mindset interventions and manipulations have seldom been implemented. Most studies used cross-sectional designs, preventing from making causal inferences. Studies were also limited by the use of self-report data. Questions were raised concerning the hypothesis of similarity and specificity between mindset and addiction, and the place of mindset theory within known addiction frameworks. Summary The present scoping review points out that more research, using intervention procedure and objective data collection, should be conducted in order to properly assess the impact of mindset theory on addictions.