What Our Poll Data Reveals About Mindset Traits (Part 1)
- Dr Nikki Osborne
- Jul 4
- 3 min read
Updated: Jul 7
Exploring the prevalence of negative self-talk and coping mechanisms in academic research environments.
At Mindset Action, we believe that awareness is the first step toward transformation. Since May 2024, we’ve been delivering Mindset Awareness training to individuals across the academic research sector — including animal unit staff, technicians, PhD students, researchers, and research support professionals.
As part of these sessions, we’ve been running anonymous polls designed to help participants reflect on their workplace behaviours and emotional responses. To date, 192 individuals have taken part in this exercise, including 60 PhD students. Our aim is to understand how people in research settings experience and manage stress, uncertainty, and internal challenges — and how this may impact their personal and professional growth.
A Closer Look at the Data
The findings from our poll data are both insightful and thought-provoking. The standout trend?
Negative self-talk is rampant.
A striking 85% of PhD students and 83% of other participants said they are often harsh or critical towards themselves.
This finding may not be surprising in an environment that prizes precision, rigour, and high standards — but it is concerning. Persistent self-criticism is a key driver of burnout, perfectionism, and avoidance behaviours. It can stifle creativity, erode confidence, and limit people’s willingness to take healthy risks or try new things.
Fear of Failure and a Lack of Empowerment
Other notable findings include:
Reluctance to try new things: Reported by 49% of PhD students, compared to 27% of other participants.
Feelings of powerlessness: Experienced by 61% of PhD students and 51% of others.
Avoidance of conflict: Reported by 78% of PhD students and 67% of others.
These behaviours may point to coping mechanisms in high-pressure environments where emotional stress, power dynamics, and hierarchical structures are at play. For PhD students in particular, these results suggest that fear of failure, critique, or disempowerment may be hindering their ability to speak up, take initiative, or innovate.
What This Means for Research Culture
While there is growing recognition of the emotional demands placed on people in academic research, our data suggests that more needs to be done. A meaningful culture of care — one that empowers individuals, supports open dialogue, and promotes psychological safety — is essential for personal development and collective success.
At Mindset Action, we see mindset not as a fixed trait, but as something that can be understood, shaped, and strengthened through awareness and reflection. Our Mindset Awareness workshops are designed to spark these conversations and help individuals identify when they may be in “survival mode” — and how to shift toward growth.
What's Next?
This is just Part 1 of our findings. Over the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing more insights from our research data, exploring different aspects of mindset and how they show up in academic and research settings.
Stay tuned for Part 2 — and in the meantime, we invite you to reflect:
Are you harsh or critical towards yourself?
Do you feel empowered to try new things, or do you hold back?
How do your workplace dynamics affect your mindset?
Mindset matters — and by building awareness, we can create healthier, more resilient research cultures where everyone has the chance to thrive.
Want to find out more?
Discover the range of mindset training services we offer HERE.
Start a conversation with us today by CONTACTING US.
For further insight into the potential benefits of mindset awareness within research environments you can access a free version of a paper we published in the journal Laboratory Animals CLICK HERE. See reference below.
You can watch these pay-to-view on-demand webinars discussing the benefits of mindset awareness within research environments (£5 per webinar).
Reference
Osborne NJ. Is mindset awareness the key to unlocking your research potential? Laboratory Animals. 2022;0(0). doi:10.1177/00236772221129744