Lecture 12

Question 1

What are the two secrets to predicting which young people will develop their talent?

Answer 1

1. The parents are vitally involved

2. Deliberate practice (make it into a flow activity)

Question 2

What did Koestner first think about the father in the Canadian documentary on hockey? What does he think now?

Answer 2

At first he thought the father was over involved and went too far

Now he thinks a healthy amount of involvement

Question 3

What did Benjamin Bloom’s studies show?

Answer 3

Certain general patterns applied to the families off expert performers regardless of domain (arts, athletics, academics)

Characteristics of Home Environment:

1. Child Oriented
2. Achievement Oriented
3. Responsibility Oriented

Question 4

What are Bloom’s stages of involvement?

Answer 4

Phase 1: Exposure and playful interaction
Phase 2: Moderate Skill Building (critical role of parents to help the kid self regulate/practice and internalization of the value of practice)
Phase 3: Intensive Preparation toward Expertise (Coach becomes most important, parents responsible for finding master coach)

Question 5

What happens when the parents don’t disengage? Give an example

Answer 5

Michelle Wie: her dad refused to give up control and got between coach and athlete

Question 6

What are Winner’s conclusions about families of “gifted children”

Answer 6

1. Child centered
2. High expectations re achievement
3. Model hard work and achievement
4. High level of independence granted
5. High level of intellectual and artistic stimulation (main difference between this list and Bloom’s)

Question 7

What did Csikszentmihalyi’s study of talented teens find?

Answer 7

only 1 of every 4 kids remained committed by grade 12. The one’s who stick with it are the ones who experienced the most flow in their talent domain

Question 8

What is the secret to help a child sustain deliberate practice?

Answer 8

Design the practice activities so they become flow activities

Question 9

How does Csikszentmihalyi suggest you can turn any activity into a flow activity?

Answer 9

1. Overall goal + as many subgoals as possible
2. Find ways to measure progress
3. Concentrate and make finer distinctions re challenge
4. Develop new skills
   5/ Keep raising the takes when it becomes boring

Question 10

What is ego-involvement

Answer 10

when the parent’s self esteem becomes linked with the childs performance