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Can everyone become highly intelligent? Cultural differences in and societal consequences of beliefs about the universal potential for intelligence

Journal

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

Subject

Organisational Behaviour

Publishing details

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2012 Vol 103:5 p 787-803

Authors / Editors

Rattan A;Savani K;Naidu N V R;Dweck C S

Biographies

Aneeta Rattan

Publication Year

2012

Abstract

We identify a novel dimension of people's beliefs about intelligence: beliefs about the potential to become highly intelligent. Studies 1–3 found that in U.S. American contexts, people tend to believe that only some people have the potential to become highly intelligent. In contrast, in South Asian Indian contexts, people tend to believe that most people have the potential to become highly intelligent. To examine the implications of these beliefs, Studies 4–6 measured and manipulated Americans' beliefs about the potential for intelligence and found that the belief that everyone can become highly intelligent predicted increased support for policies that distribute resources more equally across advantaged and disadvantaged social groups. These findings suggest that the belief that only some people have the potential to become highly intelligent is a culturally shaped belief, and one that can lead people to oppose policies aimed at redressing social inequality. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)

Available on ECCH

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