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Daring to "Look Dumb"

  • Apr. 11th, 2008 at 6:03 PM

We talked about these ideas last night in my neuropsych class and it really got me thinking. The general American public conceptualizes intelligence as a natural-born ability rather than something that can be grown and expanded over time- and are preoccupied with the question "am I smart enough?"- and limit themselves enormously by avoiding things that their self-perception says they are "bad" at. Classic examples: "I can't draw" or "I can't do math." While I think it is true that some people have natural abilities and disabilities, I also think a lot more can be done to enhance our skills than most people ever try because of fears "looking dumb" or "being a failure." Carol Dweck has done lots of interesting work on this general theme, motivation and theories of intelligence, as well as looking at how much better people tend to perform after being praised for their efforts rather than 'inborn' traits. 


For more information (videos, references, etc.):
http://www.indiana.edu/~intell/dweck.shtml 

http://www-psych.stanford.edu/~dweck/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carol_Dweck

Praise for Intelligence Can Undermine Children's Motivation and Performance (journal article)

kate.

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