Introduction

Human nature, with all its complexities, has long captivated the minds of scholars and
thinkers throughout history. As the English philosopher Thomas Hobbes wisely noted,
individuals often find it challenging to acknowledge the intellect of others while maintaining
an unwavering belief in their own wisdom. This inner exploration of self-perceived
intelligence not only shapes our personal identity but also profoundly influences our
educational journeys, often becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy.

The intricate relationship between our sense of intellect and academic achievements is a
central theme in modern psychological research. How we view ourselves intellectually
whether we consider ourselves gifted, academically capable, or possessing more modest
abilities wields a significant impact on our educational engagement, motivation, perseverance
in the face of challenges, and, ultimately, our performance in intellectual pursuits. This
dynamic connection between self-image and academic success has become a focal point for
psychologists and educators alike, influencing the very structure of our educational systems.

A long time ago, a clever experiment called "Pygmalion in the Classroom" showed that if
teachers thought their students were super smart, those students actually got smarter over
time. This happened because the students believed in themselves more. So, it's not just about
what others think of us; it's also about what we think of ourselves.

But here's the interesting part: Researchers have noticed that when people are asked to rate
their own intelligence, guys tend to give themselves higher scores than girls. This happens
across the world, no matter where you go. It's like a pattern: boys often think they're smarter
than girls. And here's the puzzling part – this happens even though boys and girls are pretty
much equally smart overall. This whole situation, where guys tend to think they're smarter
than girls, has been called the "male hubris, female humility" (MHFH) problem by some
clever scientists. And we want to understand why this happens. We want to figure out what
makes guys rate themselves higher on the smartness scale, even when that's not true.

In this research, we're going to explore a bunch of reasons why this might be happening.
We'll look at things like why people might not be very good at judging how smart they are
and how their own beliefs about themselves play a role. We'll also see if the way boys and
girls are brought up and what their parents think about their intelligence has something to do
with it.