Argument: In order to create extraordinary achievement, one must have resources and a conditioned brain (95). Explain how neurons in the brain are activated which assist in this brain conditioning. Personal drive is also an important component in developing a talent. Child prodigy Yo-Yo Ma developed his talent early in development. Adult superstars, such as Michael Jordan, don't see a peak in their talent until later years. The rest of the population is full of "average Joes". What factors cause talents develop at such different stages in life? Why do most people lack an extremely pronounced talent all together?
Katie Donnowitz (kdonnowitz94@aol.com)
Child prodigies, such as Yo-Yo Ma and Mozart, are often raised in exceptional circumstances. They do not simply acquire their superior talents, they work towards them. Unlike other geniuses, child prodigies begin to push themselves to become geniuses at a younger age than most. Yo-Yo Ma was raised in a house full of music, due to his father’s obsession with music and devotion to making his children musicians. Most children are not exposed to this type of environment at such a young age. Some may argue that Yo-Yo Ma was in fact born with exceptional genes, but Shenk proves that this is not the case. Yo-Yo was born into the perfect environment to harbor his talent.
ReplyDeleteThe factors that cause talents to develop at different stages in life really depend on at what point the individual becomes motivated to succeed. Motivation and will are huge factors that influence one’s success, and child prodigies are motivated at younger ages than most humans. Some children, such as Mozart, are lucky enough to have family members that drive them to success through constant practice and encouragement, leading them to be child prodigies when they may not have been otherwise (63). Exposure at a young age is also crucial to the development of a talent in children. Most child prodigies, like Yo-Yo, are exposed even before birth to their talent, but not overexposed to the point where they are no longer interested in the talent.
Along with exposure, another factor that contributes to talent is controlled praise. While praise is good for a child’s self esteem, too much can make the child feel they are already good enough. Not only this, but the wrong kind of praise can often lead children to believe that they were born with their talent and therefore cannot improve. ‘The Columbia University researchers Claudia Mueller and Carol Dweck found that children who were praised for their intelligence, as compared to their effort, became overly focused on results… Says Dweck: "Praising children for intelligence makes them fear difficulty because they begin to equate failure with stupidity."’ (http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-power-prime/200909/parenting-dont-praise-your-children) This proves that children thrive from being praised on areas in which they can control, such as decision-making and discipline. Too much of any kind of praise, though, can be unhealthy, as research has found that students who are overly praised are generally more cautious in their response to questions, have less confidence in their answers, and are less persistent in difficult assignments (http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-power-prime/200909/parenting-dont-praise-your-children).
(continued) Through controlled praise and balanced exposure, a child can become motivated enough to work hard for their talent, and few will work hard enough to become prodigies. Geniuses that develop later in life simply don’t have the above factors to lead them to their talent at an early age, but are exposed to these factors later in life. The important factor is for the person to believe that their talents, or lack thereof, are based on their effort, not their abilities, and this can be discovered at any stage in life. This, along with motivation, is required for deliberate practice. Deliberate practice will force change in our bodies to adapt to the intense demands (67). What separates both Michael and Yo-Yo Ma from the ‘average Joes’ was their ability to practice regularly and strenuously, and be continually motivated to the point where their talent consumes all of their energy. What separates Michael from Yo-Yo was the point in their lives in which they were able to do so. As Shenk put in h is book, ‘intense ambition evolves out of complex, real world dynamic, settling into people’s psyches at different ages and circumstances’ (96). Average Joes are so common because of the many particular factors I mentioned above, and the way the factors interact is also important. One must be exposed to either the right kind of praise, or be motivated by the lack of it. Also, practice is extremely time consuming and much energy and effort are needed to excel in any field of talent, and most people don’t have the drive to allot the time and exceptional amount of energy towards a goal. Not only this, but many still do believe that they are born with their abilities pre-set and therefore they do not have the growth mindset. As Dweck has proved through his experiments, people who believe in inborn intelligence are less intellectually adventurous, and many people unfortunately have been brought up to believe in inborn intelligence.
ReplyDeleteMichaela Margolis (mmargolis989@gmail.com)
To understand why most people are lacking an apparent talent, one must first understand how talent develops and how intelligence levels are increased; however, there is no one way that this is accomplished instead, using a GxE mindset, there are multiple ways to develop talent and excel.
ReplyDeleteTo understand why most people are lacking an apparent talent, one must first understand how talent develops and how intelligence levels are increased; however, there is no one way that this is accomplished instead, using a GxE mindset, there are multiple ways to develop talent and excel.
David Shenk throughout his book stresses the importance of learning early and often. This same ideal can be seen in nature through the concept of imprinting. Discovered by Konrad Lorenz, in this "critical period...certain behaviors can be learned [at an excelled rate]" (Campbell 1126). The same concept holds true in humans. "In recent years, researchers have learned that the human brain develops the vast majority of its neurons, and is at its most receptive to learning, between birth and three years of age." (http://web.jhu.edu/CSOS/early_learning/index.html). Shenk also touches on Hart and Risley's study in which "speaking to children early and often" (Shenk 47) increased their knowledge and ability to excel. Furthermore, "In 2003, a national study reported the positive influence of early parent to child reading" (Shenk), showing that children who read early and often gained knowledge and intelligence at unprecedented rates. So, in terms of talent development, the first and most influential factor that determines when talent developed in quite literally the timing. If started early in life, the capacity and potential for talent to develop is much greater. However, other factors come into play as well besides early development. "Non achievers seem to be missing something in their [practice] process" (Shenk), meaning that they are lacking intensity or the correct mindset or response to failure. As a result, by practicing they are not moving forward, but remaining stationary in terms of their progress. Like Michaela stated, "what separates bot Michael and Yo-Yo Ma from the average Joes was their ability to practice regularly and strenuously". If practiced correctly, dormant genes within a cell will be activated and cause "bodily reorganization and adaptive change" (Shenk). Besides practice, one's mindset is imperative in developing talent. If one embraces failure, then they are able to move on and develop talent without being held back by their inability to move on. In reality, "Success is a process and failure on the way is an opportunity" (http://www.adb.org/publications/embracing-failure). The most basic form of trial and error learning, or learning by embracing failure is operant conditioning, in which "animals learn to associate one of their own behaviors with a reward or punishment" (Campbell 1127). From that, an animal can choose to move on or fix the problem, depending on the outcome. What set all the superstars apart from the average people is their ability to learn and build from their mistakes. Like Michaela said, "Nurturance and encouragement" (Shenk) are also important factors when developing talent early. However, Michaela did not mention that nurture and encouragement are also extremely important when developing talent later on in life. It is proven that people are " more likely to reach their full potential when their parents actively support their direction and goals" (http://www.helpchildren.info/the-importance-of-parental-encouragement-and-support.html).
(continued) In reality, the reason why so many people do not excel like prodigies is because they do not believe in practicing as hard or as long as they should as a result of a lack of praise. Despite the GxE notion, genes do play a role in the development of talent. If no practice is done genes can "place sever constraints on the human ability to process information and solve problems" (Shenk).Building on why Michaela said average joe's are so common is the fact that they do not push themselves outside of their comfort zone. Throughout history, animals and organisms evolve in response to the environment and being pushed outside of their comfort zone in order to adapt to adverse conditions. If humans do no push themselves when they are trying to gain talent or knowledge, then they will not adapt to adverse conditions and they will not progress. However, if humans do go outside their comfort zones, then they will gradually develop a response to the changes and gain talent and knowledge.
ReplyDelete