VIEWS OF INTELLIGENCE AND ITS INFLUENCE ON STUDENT DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

Existing literature presents overwhelming evidence of the strong links between intelligence and measures of success, and perceptions of intelligence can motivate an individual’s decisions and behaviours. We are interested in understanding this: Are students more likely to pursue a specific area of development depending on whether their conception of intelligence comprises only or more than analytical abilities? Two-hundred-one students enrolled in the National University of Singapore completed a two-part online study. The pre survey assessed broadness of their views of intelligence. The primary survey administered an article reading task to induce either a narrow or broad view of intelligence, before presenting an advertisement of analytical and practical skills programmes that participants could sign up for and start online. We hypothesised that participants with a narrower view of intelligence would demonstrate less interest in the practical course than those with a broader view of intelligence. Results indicated that views of intelligence did not predict what type of programme people were interested in; instead, there was an overall greater interest in the practical skills programme. Future research could investigate the moderating effect of intrinsic factors, such as conscientiousness and academic motivation, on the relationship between views of intelligence and students’ self-development strategies.