Implicit Theory of Intelligence Scale: Testing for factorial invariance and mean structure

As conceived by Carol Dweck, implicit theory of intelligence concerns the extent to which intelligence is perceived as a malleable trait. This paper presents a new 14-item measure; the Implicit Theory of Intelligence Scale (ITIS). The ITIS was trialled on two samples of 162 and 940 first year university students in Australia and Egypt, respectively. An exploratory factor analysis for each sample retained two factors: entity and incremental. Entity refers to one’s perception that his/her intelligence is a fixed, uncontrollable trait that cannot be changed through effort. Incremental refers to one’s perception that his/her intelligence is a malleable, controllable quality that can be increased and improved through effort and investment. Entity and incremental factors each incorporated 7 items and the correlation coefficient between the two factors was found to be around -0.33 in each sample. A multi-group confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the ITIS is factorial invariant across nationalities (i.e., Egypt and Australia) and across gender within each nationality. The ITIS mean structure was invariant across Egyptian and Australian samples. Implications of these findings are discussed within the Australian and Egyptian contexts.