Can you change your intelligence? According to this article by the American Psychological Association, believing you can get smarter makes you smarter.
We are often taught that intelligence is a static attribute — whether it be nature or nurture, some people are smarter than others. This phenomenon affects marginalized groups more than any other. Students of color in the past have dealt with the false notion that certain groups are inferior to others. There is even evidence to suggest that bringing up this stereotype can harm the academic performance of these students. However, there is a solution to this issue: teaching students that intelligence is changeable.
A 2001 study conducted by Aronson, Fried, and Good determined that, by teaching African American students about the malleability of IQ, they improved their academic performance. This shows that awareness of the fact that one’s intelligence can be improved will improve one’s intelligence.