%0 Journal Article
%T Overstating the Role of Environmental Factors in Success: A Cautionary Note
%A Brooke N. Macnamara
%A David Moreau
%A David Z. Hambrick
%J Current Directions in Psychological Science
%@ 1467-8721
%D 2019
%R 10.1177/0963721418797300
%X Several currently popular areas of research¡ªbrain training, mind-set, grit, deliberate practice, and the bilingual advantage¡ªare premised on the idea that environmental factors are the overwhelming determinants of success in real-world pursuits. Here, we describe the major claims from each of these areas of research and discuss evidence for these claims, particularly focusing on meta-analyses. We suggest that overemphasizing the malleability of abilities and other traits can have negative consequences for individuals, science, and society. We conclude with a call for balanced appraisals of the available evidence concerning this issue, to reflect current scientific discrepancies and thereby enable informed individual decisions and collective policies
%K abilities
%K skills
%K interventions
%K environment
%K genetics
%U https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0963721418797300