We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.
We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.
from Part III - The Question of Extraordinary Thought Processes in Creativity
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 01 October 2020
This chapter examines the question of whether world-class achievement – in other words, genius – is the result of talent or practice. Is the genius born or made? The chapter begins with a case study of creative development at the genius level – The Beatles – which presents the questions that can be raised concerning the role of talent versus practice in creative achievement at the highest level. Some researchers have proposed that all accomplishment is based solely on practice and that talent plays no role. In response to that strong practice view, supporters of the notion of talent have presented evidence that high achievement requires more than practice. The chapter reviews both sides of that debate. A number of researchers have proposed that the question of whether genius is born or made is not the correct question. One should study how people’s inherited characteristics and their experiences work together to produce world-class achievement. The critical question is not whether the genius is born or made but rather how one’s inherited characteristics interact with one’s experiences to result in the production of novel works. That is, geniuses are born and made.
To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure no-reply@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.
Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.
Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.
To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.
To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.
