Anxiety Mindset in Parents and Children

<title>Abstract</title> <p> Despite a growing body of literature linking mindsets and mental health, little is known about how these emotional mindsets develop. In this two-study direct replication, we investigated the associations between parents' anxiety mindsets (fixed and debilitating), reported behavioral orientations (avoid/control vs. approach/learning), child anxiety, and children's (aged 8–12 years) anxiety mindsets. Parents' fixed, but not debilitating, anxiety mindsets were associated with ( <italic>r=</italic> .19 _{Study 1} ; r = .25, _{Study 2} ) and predicted children’s fixed anxiety mindsets, even after accounting for child anxiety. Parents holding stronger fixed and debilitating anxiety beliefs reported greater engagement in avoid/control behaviors. However, findings were mixed regarding their engagement in approach/learning behaviors. Neither parent-reported behavioral orientation was associated with children's fixed anxiety mindsets. Child anxiety was strongly associated with their fixed anxiety mindsets ( <italic>r=</italic> .51 _{Study 1} , <italic>r=</italic> .61 _{Study 2} ). Parents’ fixed mindsets and child anxiety matter for children’s fixed anxiety mindsets. Implications for mindset and anxiety interventions are discussed. </p>