Innate talents: Reality or myth?
- 1 June 1998
- journal article
- review article
- Published by Cambridge University Press (CUP) in Behavioral and Brain Sciences
- Vol. 21 (3) , 399-407
- https://doi.org/10.1017/s0140525x9800123x
Abstract
Talents that selectively facilitate the acquisition of high levels of skill are said to be present in some children but not others. The evidence for this includes biological correlates of specific abilities, certain rare abilities in autistic savants, and the seemingly spontaneous emergence of exceptional abilities in young children, but there is also contrary evidence indicating an absence of early precursors of high skill levels. An analysis of positive and negative evidence and arguments suggests that differences in early experiences, preferences, opportunities, habits, training, and practice are the real determinants of excellence.Keywords
This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: