Putting the Gift Back into Giftedness: The Genetics of Talent Development

Abstract

Although giftedness and talent are semantically linked to genetic endowment, some psychologists have questioned whether innate gifts really exist. Instead, these researchers argue that so-called giftedness or talent merely involves the acquisition of domain-specific expertise by means of deliberate practice. However, these arguments are deficient because they (a) exaggerate the empirical support for the extreme nurture position and (b) overlook the empirical evidence on behalf of a moderate nature position. Hence, a comprehensive understanding of giftedness and talent - upon which gifted education must be based - requires a more finely nuanced appreciation of the relative contributions of genes and the environment. This appreciation necessarily includes recognition that gifiedness and talent do include genetic gifts.