Intelligence and Motivation

doi:10.1017/9781108770422.045

44 - Intelligence and Motivation

from Part VIII - Intelligence and Allied Constructs

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 13 December 2019

Priyanka B. Carr and

Carol S. Dweck

Edited by

Robert J. Sternberg

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Robert J. Sternberg: Affiliation:
Cornell University, New York

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Summary

In this chapter, we argue that to understand intelligence one must understand motivation. In the past, intelligence was often cast as an entity unto itself, relatively unaffected by motivation. In our chapter, we spell out how motivational factors determine (1) whether individuals initiate goals relating to the acquisition and display of intellectual skills, (2) how persistently they pursue those goals, and (3) how effectively they pursue those goals, that is, how effectively they learn and perform in the intellectual arena. As will be seen, motivational factors can have systematic and meaningful effects on intellectual ability, performance, and accomplishment over time. Our discussion emphasizes that heritability is not incompatible with the malleability of intelligence and that motivation is the vehicle through which intellectual skills are successfully acquired, expressed, and built upon.

Keywords

intelligence Alfred Binet motivation implicit theories mindsets stereotypes giftedness intrinsic motivation belonging self-regulation

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Type: Chapter
Information: The Cambridge Handbook of Intelligence , pp. 1061 - 1086
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108770422.045 [Opens in a new window]
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2020

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