I- Introduction
Generally, the level of performance has repercussions on 3 elements: the self-esteem, the image that others have of us, and the intelligence level. In fact, individuals tend to believe that their level of performance is a good indicator of their level of intelligence. For this reason, school results are very important to a majority of parents. But, they aren’t necessarily right.
It is necessary to stop associating self-esteem with performance. Indeed, our value isn’t strictly dependant on our performance. Similarly, performance shouldn’t be considered as an indicator of intellectual ability.
II- Is complimenting people on their intelligence and abilities a good thing?
When this question is asked of parents, more than 80% of them say that complimenting their child on their intelligence is a good thing. But, are they right?
Muelle and Dweck (1998) did an experiment on 5th grade students. Their work was divided into 3 phases. At first, the children did easy problems that they managed without difficulty. In the first condition, the experimenters made a compliment attributed to their gift “Bravo, you did a good work, you must be good at this kind of problem”. In the other condition, the compliment was attributed to their effort “Bravo, you did a good work, you must have made a big effort to solve these problems”. In a second step, the students had to solve difficult problems. Finally, they realized again affordable problems.
When children were complimented on their gift, they saw their intelligence as fixed, that means as an innate gift that remains stable throughout life. For this reason, they showed little attraction for difficult tasks and they didn’t want to learn new things. After a failure, they explained their difficulties by a lack of intelligence. During de third series of exercises (easy), their performance was lower compared to the first series. Finally, when the opportunity to choose between 2 folders were given (one containing elements to help perform the difficult exercises, the other containing the results of classmates’ exercises), they preferred to perform a social comparison (choice of the second folder).
When children were complimented on their efforts, they sew their intelligence as malleable, that means as something that could be developed. For this reason, they showed a strong appeal for difficult tasks and a great desire to learn new things. When they failed, they explained their difficulties by a lack of reflection (which can be solved). When performing the third series of exercises, their performances were better than those of the first set of problems. Finally, when they were also given the opportunity to choose between the 2 folders, they preferred to choose the one containing the strategies of resolution.
This experiment was replicated six times and the same results were obtained. But, why are compliments about child’s intellectual abilities deleterious? These are stable and uncontrollable internal attributions. On the contrary, compliments on efforts correspond to a controllable and adaptable internal attributions. Intelligence is related to different conceptions: A fixist conception and a malleable conception.
III- The intelligence’s representation
According to Dweck (1999), it is the representation that individuals have of intelligence that determines their intellectual performance rather than the intelligence itself.
1. First study: Performance implications
Henderson and Dweck (1980) conducted longitudinal research with students in grades 5 to grades 6 of primary school. Children were distinguished on the basis of their representation of intelligence: Growth vs. Fixed Intelligence. The study showed several results:
Children with a stable representation of intelligence: In 5th grade, they had a high confidence in their intelligence. However, trusting in their own abilities wasn’t beneficial. Indeed, those who showed good results in 5th grade had a drop in their results in 6th grade. In addition, they also had more doubts about their intelligence, more apprehension about the work requested in 6th and were more anxious about the school in general.
Children with a malleable representation of intelligence: In 5th grade, those who had a low degree of confidence in their intelligence were the ones who progressed the most in 6th grade. In fact, they were questioning their efforts in explaining of their performances.
We can see that the stable representation of intelligence leads to a decline in performance, doubts about oneself and anxiety. Specifically, students are more vulnerable at the first signs of failure, because having difficulties and being intelligent is not compatible. However, belief in growth mindset leaves time to students in order to they adapt to their new environment. Students may encounter difficulties, but they don’t doubt because they think that their intelligence can develop with a little time.
2. 2nd Study: Consequences on self-esteem
Butler (2000) did a study from the 8th and 9th grades students. More specifically, he was interested in the process of comparing students according to their representation of intelligence.
Children with a malleable representation of intelligence privileged especially the intrapersonal temporal comparison, that means from oneself to oneself in time. It was only their own performance that served as their indicator. As a result, their self-esteem increased as they progressed compared from previous performance, and their self-esteem decreased as they regressed compared from past performance. So, their self-esteem didn’t evolve according to social comparisons. But, the intrapersonal temporal comparison was very beneficial for help them to progress.
Children with a fixed representation of intelligence focused above all on social comparison. This comparison was used to protect their self-esteem. However, they didn’t take into account their progress or decline in performance compared to previous performance.
We need to help individuals develop a more incremental conception of intelligence which is beneficial. In this case, they will have less recourse to strategies of protection of self-esteem that are deleterious for self-determined motivation. Secondary control processes (such as self-esteem protection processes) are prevalent in people with a fixed, whereas primary control processes (such as going back to the source of failure) are prevalent aming people with a growth mindset.
So, in response to academic failure, students with incremental (malleable) representation are more likely to work hard and effectively, and to spend more time studying. On the contrary, students with a fixed representation are less likely to spend time studying and they try to avoid the subject of their failure (avoidance).
IV- Conclusion
In conclusion, in regard to the results obtained in the three studies presented, it is clearly important to induce a malleable conception of intelligence in children. Indeed, as previously explained, failure will no longer be seen as an obstacle but as an opportunity for improvement. The children will be more inclined to work and to progress, and thus have better performances.
Words I have learned:
- Stable/Fixed intelligence = intelligence fixe
- Malleable/Incremental/Growth intelligence = intelligence malleable/incrémentielle.
- Mindset = mentalité/état d’esprit
- They have dropped = ils ont chuté / diminué (a drop = une baisse)
- Academic failure = échec scolaire