Nature or Nurture? It's All About Attitude, Science Says

Knowledge, athleticism or even "luck." Are these components of well-bred genetics or a healthy dose of a can-do attitude?

Scientists still aren't too certain. Of course, various factors play a role in both. However, recent findings presented by researchers at Stanford University also show that much of our success can be determined by how much effort we put into it all. 

"Giving people messages that encourage learning and motivation may promote more efficient performance," said Schroder, a doctoral student in clinical psychology whose work is funded by the National Science Foundation, in a news release. "In contrast, telling people that intelligence is genetically fixed may inadvertently hamper learning."

For their findings, researchers had two groups of participants read different articles. One article reported that intelligence is largely genetic while another said that brilliance of historical geniuses were "probably due to a challenging environment. Their genius had little to do with genetic structure."

The participants were instructed to remember the main points of the article and complete a simple computer task while their brain activity was recorded.

Findings showed that the group who read that intelligence was primarily genetic paid more attention to their responses, as if they were more concerned with their performance. Extra attention, however, did not relate to performance on trials after errors.

Those who read that intelligence was due to a challenging environment showed a more efficient brain response after they made a mistake, which may be explained by the belief that it was "human" to make mistakes and that they could succeed the next time around.

While researchers reiterate that the study does not weigh in on the age-old "nature vs. nurture" debate, more so, it investigates how messages about nature of abilities and "mindsets" can greatly contribute to intelligence and worth.

More information regarding the findings can be seen via the journal Biological Psychology.