Even very smart people can feel and act in not-so-smart ways. Psychology experiments suggest that human intelligence can be remarkably fragile, leading to blunders large and small. Why? Research finds that a variety of social psychological factors can suppress intelligent thought, making people significantly less intelligent than their test scores would indicate.
Joshua Aronson, associate professor of developmental, social and educational psychology at New York University, will give a presentation to explain this phenomenon Monday, Oct. 5, from 12:30 to 2 p.m. in Tinkham Veale University Center ballrooms B and C.
In his presentation, titled “Stereotypes and the Nature and Nurture of Intelligence,” Aronson will discuss implications of his research on the topic for both self-improvement and difficult social problems, such as the achievement gap between blacks and whites and the math gap between males and females.
At this lecture, students will learn scientific facts and latest research about:
- Common misconceptions about intelligence;
- Everyday situations that make people dumber and less in control;
- Interventions that raise intelligence and those that do not;
- Test scores and why sometimes lower scores indicate a better student; and
- Scientifically tested methods for making yourself, smarter—and happier and more fun to be around.
Among the most widely cited social scientists in the past decade, Aronson is known internationally for his research on “stereotype threat” and minority student achievement. His research with colleague Claude Steele, author of this year’s common reading selection, has been cited in three Supreme Court cases.
Aronson’s work for the past decade has been devoted to enhancing the school experiences of disadvantaged students and improving their learning and test performance, work that been highly influential in the field of education, intelligence testing, law and social psychology.
Aronson has received several awards and grants for his research, including Early Career awards from the American Psychological Association’s Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues and the National Science Foundation, and the G. Stanley Hall Award from the American Psychological Association and the William T. Grant Faculty Scholars award. He was the founding director of the Center for Research on Culture, Development and Education at New York University and now directs the Metro Center For Achievement Research and Evaluation at New York University.