Carol Dweck Growth Mindset Essay: Fixed vs Incremental Intelligence

Regardless of how individuals may feel, they are responsible for their intelligence. The more an individual is motivated, the smarter they can become. An increase in knowledge through additional research can increase the level of intelligence an individual has, which indicates that intelligence is not fixed but is gained and grown through hard work.

The intelligence quotient of any individual can certainly be increased. The intelligence level that individuals are born with does not dictate their intelligence. The environments that individuals are born and live in, the schools they attend, their working environments, and the accessibility to healthcare services play a significant role in the advancement of intelligence levels in individuals (Dupeyrat and Claudette 49). Individuals who interact with people of high integrity are more likely to increase their levels of intelligence compared to individuals who interact with people with low intelligence levels.

Individuals who also possess a growth mindset also have a higher chance of increasing their intelligence. A growth mindset involves individuals believing that they can improve their intelligence. This goes contrary to the fixed mindset, where individuals believe that knowledge, talent, and potential are fixed (Dupeyrat and Claudette 49). There is real power in understanding that people can always keep learning, improving, and mastering new skills.  Individuals, and especially students who have a growth mindset tend to perform better in school and other co-curricular compared to those with a fixed mindset.  According to psychologist Carol Dweck, students who were labeled smart learned they could succeed without working hard and avoided having to apply themselves. But using a growth mindset to areas that you are passionate about, will supercharge your ability to manage.

Individuals who have the desire to discover new things have a higher likelihood of increasing their intelligence.  Fluid intelligence is the aptitude to study additional material, store it in the working memory, and make good use of it for upcoming problem-solving. It is incredibly vital to our everyday work and potential, and not until recently was fluid intelligence considered variable. It is actually trainable, and many workplaces are implementing activities to increase fluid intelligence–and therefore success and performance–in workers. Besides, individuals who frequently engages in meditation are likely to increase their intelligence (Robins and Jennifer 325).  In individuals’ everyday life, they incline to use some parts of their common sense more than others, generating a disparity. Meditation helps to reverse this by establishing the networks between all areas of the brain, creating an environment for better creative thinking, problem-solving, memory, and more. Meditation also upsurges brain size and pushes people into optimal breakthrough patterns–causing an essential increase in intelligence quotient.

Educators can use this knowledge in their classrooms to increase the expertise and levels of intelligence among their students. They can encourage meditation among their students through which the students will be able to create an equilibrium in their brains. As a result, their level of critical thinking and problem-solving will significantly increase, which will lead to an improvement in academic performance and an increase in intelligence levels (Robins and Jennifer 325). Encouraging students to have a growth mindset will also play an essential role in the academic performance of students. The educators should therefore encourage their students to keep on trying new things. Besides, those who do not seem to be doing well in class should not be seen as failures but should be encouraged to keep on trying until they make it. A sense of confidence will therefore be instilled in them through which their level of intelligence will increase and improve their academic performance.

Works cited

Dupeyrat, Caroline, and Claudette Mariné. “Implicit theories of intelligence, goal orientation, cognitive engagement, and achievement: A test of Dweck’s model with returning to school adults.” Contemporary educational psychology 30.1 (2005): 43-59

Robins, Richard W., and Jennifer L. Pals. “Implicit self-theories in the academic domain: Implications for goal orientation, attributions, affect, and self-esteem change.” Self and identity 1.4 (2002): 313-336.

YouTube, www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiiEeMN7vbQ&feature=youtu.be.