People’s beliefs on the origins of talent – the implicit theory of talent in different job and study groups (a Polish study)

Abstract

A sample of 465 participants was tested in order to identify the implicit theory of talent. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of the gathered data allowed for the identification of 14 categories in which participants defined talent and its determinants. The most common category was “innate”; however, participants’ answers often related to an interactive aspect, which linked predispositions with work and development. Correspondence analysis revealed three groups differentiated in their beliefs regarding determinants of talent. Psychologists and pedagogues fell into the interactional group (innate-acquired), while artists’ beliefs related to the acquired aspect. In the longer term, it would be desirable to examine motivations of people who differ in their implicit theories of talent.