You may have heard about the big study released yesterday finding that — different from previous belief — that teen intelligence is not “fixed” and that they can increase their IQ.

Coincidentally, on the same day The San Francisco Chronicle published a lengthy article about Carol Dweck, who has done research for years on the differences between a “fixed” and “growth” mindset, and who has developed resources for young people to learn more about the topic. I’ve used much of her research in lessons I’ve done with my classes. You can can read about those lessons at “Now I Know My Brain Is Growing When I Read Every Night” , My Best Posts On “Motivating” Students, and in my latest book. I’ll certainly be adding info on this new study to that lesson plan.

Here are my choices for The Best Articles On The New Study Showing That Intelligence Is Not “Fixed”:

Clearly, the best article on the study appeared in the Wall Street Journal, As Brain Changes, So Can IQ: Study Finds Teens’ Intellects May Be More Malleable Than Previously Thought. Even though the authors of the study were careful about drawing certainly conclusions, others drew some that seemed fairly obvious to me. This was the last paragraph in the Wall St. Jrnl article:

“An important aspect of the results is that cognitive abilities can increase or decrease,” said Oklahoma State University psychometrician Robert Sternberg, a past president of the American Psychological Association who wasn’t part of the study. “Those who are mentally active will likely benefit. The couch potatoes among us who do not exercise themselves intellectually will pay a price.”

Teenagers’ IQ scores can rise or fall sharply during adolescence was published in The Guardian.

Study: Adolescents Can See Dramatic IQ Changes appeared in Ed Week.

IQ Is Not Fixed in the Teenage Brain was in Science NOW.

Of course, there is also some question of how valid the IQ Test is at measuring intelligence, and I would be remiss if I didn’t share some of those resources:

What Does IQ Really Measure? also appeared in Science NOW.

Stephen Murdoch has written critically about the IQ Test, including a book. You can read and see interviews with him here, and I’ve embedded a talk he gave:

And here’s an interesting article on IQ’s by Malcolm Gladwell.

IQ Isn’t Set In Stone, Suggests Study That Finds Big Jumps, Dips In Teens is from NPR.

Teens’ IQ May Rise or Fall Over Time is from TIME

Here’s a new short video of Professor Dweck giving an excellent overview of her perspectives on having a “fixed” vs. a “growth” mindset:

Additional contributions are welcome!

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You might also want to explore the nearly 760 other “The Best…” lists I’ve compiled.