Shifting from the Best of Gifted Education to Talent Development: Implications for Identification, Education, and Psychological Support Inside and Outside of School

Rena F. Subotnik January 13, 2012 Speyer Legacy School Coalition of Gifted Schools Parents of Advanced Learners

Collaborators Paula Olszewski-Kubilius and Frank Worrell

Five Main Points

 Abilities matter  Domains have varied trajectories  Opportunities matter  Psychosocial skills matter a lot  Outcome to strive for is optimal performance in the form of eminent contributions

Abilities Matter

 Abilities do matter, including abilities in specific talent domains.

Why even say something so obvious? Press for believing that eminence is

exclusively

due to    Chance Privilege Effort In fact each of these factors contributes cumulatively, and ability enhances the potency of each.

Abilities Matter (continued)

 Abilities do matter, including abilities in

specific talent domains

.

General abilities serve as important foundations for high level functioning:    Not sufficient for full development of potential Vary in importance based on domain We don’t know enough about basics of special abilities, but we are making progress.

Domains Vary

 Developmental trajectories exist for talent domains. These trajectories vary as to when they start, peak and end.

Domains Vary (continued)

Opportunities

 Opportunities to develop talent must be provided. Mapping on to developmental trajectories  Falling in love  Skills, knowledge, values  Your special niche and voice

Opportunities (continued)

 Opportunities need to be provided and TAKEN   Many highly competent individuals have the ability and training to be optimal performers, but do not exercise the drive, personal fortitude, and social skills required for creative risk taking These behaviors can be modified.

Psychosocial Skills

 Psychosocial variables are determining influences in the successful development of talent.

     Mindset Persistence Strategic risk taking Social skills Addressing fears

Psychosocial Skills (continued)

  Beta blockers - cardiac medications, not tranquilizers or sedatives first marketed in 1967 in the United States for disorders like angina and abnormal heart rhythms. But many artists have coaches or teachers who help them to handle stress in creative ways both psychological and practical.

Psychosocial Skills (continued)

Eminence

    Eminence, or contributing in a transcendent way to making societal life better or more beautiful, ought to be the aspired outcome of gifted education.

Rather than counting the number of eminent graduates, accountability would focus on provision of what is known to be useful in developing optimal performance in domains.

That investment would mean studying talent development in various domains, assessing the benefits and costs of early specialization, apprenticeships and psychosocial skill training. Opportunities to express one’s full talent potential are inherently rewarding to gifted individuals.

A Proposed Talent Development Mega Model

Such a model should take into account:  Whether a domain can be expressed meaningfully in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood.

 What are the acuities and propensities that can serve as signs of potential.

 The need for external supports including psychological strength training.

Similarities Differences Performers Producers

Must master the content within the domain.

Need guided and deliberate practice and/or study.

Must have commitment and motivation.

Domain values are inculcated by mentors. WHAT IS CONSIDERED BEAUTIFUL,ELEGANT, WORTHY OF PURSUIT Psycho-social variables limit or enhance success.

What you need to practice is more clearly defined— results of practice seen more easily.

Tasks are more diffuse, long term and multi-component.

Judgments of experts are trusted throughout the process.

Physical abilities are important—you do not have them forever, which constrains the arc of talent development.

Judgments for selection in academic disciplines, at least at the pre collegiate level, are not trusted and objective tests serve as a stand in.

Some components of performance are shared on this side by creators such as composers and visual artists, e.g. judgments of experts are trusted throughout the process.

No physical delimiters Greater winnowing and fewer opportunities over time.

Room for a greater number of producers, particularly in domains designated to target societal need. More current focus on mental skills training.

The outcome of excellence and creativity is clearer— better sense of knowing the path and where you are going.

Little current focus on psychosocial skill training.

Clear only in some areas, e.g. academic publications, grants, awards. Domain is appreciated more widely by the public.

Appreciated by insiders.

Delimiters:

External and chance factors: Late entry into domain Poor match between interests and opportunities Psychosocial factors: Low motivation Unproductive mindsets Low level of psychological strength Poor social skills

Enhancers:

External and chance factors: Opportunities offered Financial resources and social and cultural capital Psychosocial factors: Opportunities taken Productive mindsets Developed psychological strength Developed social skills

Policy Implications: Identification (as distinct from Selective Admission)

 Beyond and parallel to general ability, identification through domains  Identification at different stages for different domains  Provide opportunities and monitor response and commitment inside and outside of school Schools offer limited domains Outside of school domains are often selected by parental interest and children’s exposure by parents.

Policy Implications: Education

Stage 1  Coordinate exposure to domains with out-of-school enrichment opportunities Stage 2  Reasonable accommodation for acceleration  Reasonable accommodation for specialization including culminating experiences  Reasonable accommodation for competitions Stage 3  Apprenticeships, internships and mentorships

Policy Implications: Psychological Support

 Provide explicit rewards for effort and persistence. Dissociate ability from effortlessness.  Reinforce graciousness in success and failure.  Use mistakes as opportunities for self correction.  Make connection between optimal performance and psychological strength.

Acknowledgements

 James S. McDonnell Foundation  Association for Psychological Science  American Psychological Association