On 2011-03-21 13:41, Enda Dunican wrote:
I have been reading this discussion with interest. Marian's message provoked further thought. In recent months (as part of my involvement in sports coaching), I have read a number of books that put forward the idea that rather than being the cause of something, talent/ability is actually the product of something, namely deep/purposeful/deliberate practice. When we see an individual who appears to have a natural talent or aptitude for something e.g. music, programming, sport we only see the tip of the iceberg and only when we study the individual more closely do we find out the true reasons behind their 'talent'. These books use the stories of great sports stars (Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus), compsers (Mozart) and authors (Bronte sisters) to illustrate their assertion.
Just to throw in another reference, for a good overview of these topics I recommend Ericsson, Charness, Feltovich, and Hoffman (eds), "The Cambridge Handbook of Expertise and Expert Performance", Cambridge University Press, 2006. Especially chapter 38. -- The Open University is incorporated by Royal Charter (RC 000391), an exempt charity in England & Wales and a charity registered in Scotland (SC 038302).
