Child Prodigies Vs Skill Acquisition
I was fortunate enough to take a Psychology of Thinking class recently. The class covered everything from intelligence and creativity, to AI and animal cognition.
One particularly interesting finding I’d like to share: There is little evidence to suggest “child prodigies” are innately gifted at anything. On everything from music, to chess, to the “savants” performing multi-digit multiplication in their head, research shows that expert performance does not rely on a natural giftedness.
Rather, skill acquisition in almost any subject you choose (be it writing, cooking, massage, poker, music, etc.) is largely in your control. I don’t want to bore everyone with the details, but having learned how skill acquisition takes place I feel empowered to do anything. It’s great knowledge to have.
For those interested in learning more, check out this research by Ericsson. If you’re working on a skill, but don’t want to dig through the research, tell me the skill and I’ll give you some tips.
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I read an article on a magazine not too long ago about pretty much the same subject. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a child prodigy or a typical person, the level of skill and expertise in a given field is determined by the person’s motivation and will to learn and expand, rather than “innate,” gifted ability.
I am still jealous of child prodigies, that all they have to do is be born and they’re instantly good at something. However, to become truly good at something, it takes years and years of dedication and practice — 10 years to become “expert” at something, according to the article.