Increasing your intelligence: Entity and incremental beliefs about the multiple “intelligences”

Abstract

This study examined the personality correlates of incremental/entity attitudes towards the growth/increase of 14 “multiple intelligences”. A total of 277 participants completed a questionnaire about the degree to which each “type of intelligence” is impossible/easy to change. This was followed by a 15-item Big Five personality traits questionnaire (Costa & McCrae, 1992), a measure of core self-evaluation (Judge et al., 2003) and a growth mindset questionnaire (Dweck, 2012). Whilst verbal, naturalistic and intra-personal intelligences were seen to be relatively easy to change, creative and musical intelligences were seen as much less so. The 14 “intelligences” factored into three interpretable factors labelled as abstract, skilful and classical intelligences. Core self-evaluation and growth mindset were both highly significant correlates of each factor. Whilst neuroticism and openness were significant correlates for abstract and classical intelligences respectively, no other significant results were obtained from the Big Five personality traits. These findings highlight the importance of core self-evaluation and mindset beliefs in educational and occupational settings. Limitations were noted.