With "GxE" we can conclude that individuals are not born with a predetermined amount of intelligence, and most importantly that "Intelligence is not a thing, but a process" (Shenk, 2012, p.40). With this breakthrough in the understanding of genes and innate ability, came many studies and experimentation about the function that inherited intelligence performs in the pursuit of success. .
However, only a few studies have investigated the roles that mindset and motivation (as environmental factors) play in determining the success that individuals' will reach in their lives. The purpose of this paper is to identify the determinants of success, especially those concerning the academic achievement of people. It will examine what characterizes the "Nature-Nurture" debate and its current standing in the modern world. Furthermore, it will identify the concept of mindsets, how mindset and motivation are capable of inducing success in academia, and the role that the knowledge of "malleable intelligence" has on academic performance. In the end, there will be some suggestions on how to increase the well-being of persons and society as a whole, which would be realized with the acceptance of the new hypothesis about mindset and success. .
The Old Nature/Nurture Debate.
The discussion of the role of genes versus the environment on the human being can be traced back centuries to the words of famous figures such as Charles Darwin, Francis Galton, John Locke, and many others (Lilienfeld, Lynn, Namy, & Woolf, 2010; Shenk, 2010). Although, it was only after research conducted by Gregor Mendel in the 1850's involving pea-plants proving the existence of genes that the conviction in the idea that genes alone dictated who a person would become gained major adoption by the population. Later on, this attempt to distinguish between the significance of inborn abilities and personal experience in causing different behavioral traits among individuals became known as the "Nature-Nurture" debate.
