Rethinking the concept of talent: A multidimensional approach to human development (1)Dr. Mohammad Broujerdi - Dr. Bahareh Jafarian

Abstract

This article rethinks the concept of talent and presents a comprehensive and flexible definition of talent by focusing on three key axes: observation, motivation, and social understanding. This approach is compared with contemporary theories such as Howard Gardner's multiple intelligences, Lev Vygotsky's sociocultural theory, and Albert Bandura's social learning theory, and its applications in educational systems are examined. The conclusion emphasizes the importance of social interactions and cultural structures in the development of talent and shows that talent is more than an innate ability, it is a dynamic and environmentally dependent process.

Introduction

As one of the fundamental concepts in education, talent has always been of interest to researchers and educators. The traditional definition of talent considers it as an innate ability; an approach that is often associated with limitations in human development. By criticizing the innate definition of talent, this article presents a multidimensional approach that emphasizes the interaction between cognitive, motivational, and social factors.

Explanation of the problem:

A definition and criteria for criticizing the perception of talent:

Talent means the inherent abilities or capacities that a person naturally has in some fields or activities. These characteristics can be innate and help a person learn quickly or perform better in some areas. Talent can appear in various fields such as music, art, mathematics, sports, communications, problem solving, etc.

The difference between talent and skill is that talent exists naturally in a person, while skill is acquired through practice, learning, and experience. Of course, even if a person has talent in a field, he will need training and practice to maximize his abilities.

In general, talents provide a foundation for a person's growth and development in specific areas, but success in them usually requires perseverance, practice, and effort.

With this approach to defining talent, there are three axes in understanding and explaining talent. These

What are the three important axes of talent

Natural Ability:1-

Talent means abilities that are inherent in a person. These abilities are seen more naturally in some people than others and allow them to be naturally more successful in a particular field (such as art, sports, or mathematics).

Potential for Growth:2-

Talents do not always mean complete and final abilities, but rather indicate the potential for further growth. People who are talented in a particular field can take their abilities to a higher level if they receive sufficient training and practice.

Innate Passion: 3-

Talent is often associated with a person's interest and passion for a particular activity. A person may be interested in an activity in which they are talented, and this interest provides more motivation to grow and practice in that area.

These three axes provide coaches and parents with this criterion to help the individual identify their talents and, with effort and planning, bring them to a professional level.

Beginning of the discussion:

If we look at the definition of talent with the above components and criteria, we must be disappointed with the growth process and be forced to educate elites and ignore the great capacity of human children.

Our review and analysis is an approach of appreciation for the thinking of thinkers and in no way aims at the absolute negation of the theories proposed with the aforementioned components. Our goal is to present an additional thinking with a different function, and this distinction in function is the criterion for attention and acceptance of the perspective that is presented in our view and thought in expressing the definition of talent. If we briefly go to the clinical evidence of the individual and social development of society, we will realize to what extent this approach has robbed children and human beings of the opportunity for "continuous becoming" in the growth process and has become a software that robs and steals individual and social growth and development. The emphasis on the innateness of talent in an absolute way is the secret of the backwardness of education. Such education and training is alien to the event and phenomenon of growth and unintentionally, with one-sided judgment, bitters the taste of human life and takes away the opportunity for discovery after discovery and conquest after conquest from children and deprives human society of the infinite dawn of genius. The human child, in a strange and extraordinary way, in a very surprising way, has the ability to accept change and transformation, but what happens when this great wealth becomes incapable of even managing itself? This tragic event has its roots in the learned helplessness that is cultivated in the land of education and upbringing and constantly sells the failed and unfinished product to the market of buyers who are forced to buy this reality.

I have always been a thinker on the principle that "the level of no country is higher than the level of education of that country" and the excellence of the level of education of a country depends on the attitude, perception and knowledge of the teachers of that country towards humans and the category of growth. The attitude towards humans in the cognitive system of teachers, regardless of their specialization, is very important. Teachers who are themselves trapped in the prison of theories can never share the lesson of flying and welcoming renewal in their classrooms.

Any theory that comes to schools of education with an "essence-centric" approach will produce a result that will reduce the meaning of life and block the door to life for children and human society.

A content-oriented educational system and mechanical talent identification under the guise of academic guidance, inefficient graduates, sad, and a society full of discrimination, unable to manage changes... are among the consequences of accepting the definition of talent as centered on human innateness.

Main Discussion

1. Criticism of the Traditional Definition of Talent

The traditional definition of talent emphasizes its innateness. Although this attitude has valuable aspects, it limits the opportunities for "becoming" and "development" due to ignoring environmental and social dynamics. By directing education towards cultivating elites, this approach ignores the enormous human potential in children.

2. A New Definition of Talent

In this article, talent is defined as a dynamic network of abilities, motivations, and social understanding that is formed in interaction with the environment and formal and informal experiences. The three key axes in this definition are:

I introduce three axes for defining talent:

1- The first axis is how children explain what they observe around them.

2- The second axis is what motivates the child in the formal and informal learning process.

3- The third axis is how the child understands the concepts of social groups and gender stereotypes and his psychological structure is formed.

Accordingly, our understanding of talent is that: talent is a thread that passes through all three issues. With this definition, talent distances itself from the child's essence as a predetermined entity and introduces itself as a dynamic, productive network. With this approach, talent is a process of productive and powerful networks that are formed through interaction within and outside the child and host an amazing flourishing in the growth process.

If we consider, talent is like a land that is conquered and expanded from the inside out and from the outside in through the child's cognitive and communicative interaction. This cognitive mechanism of talent removes the lock of judgment and the chain of disability from the child's life world and transforms the human biological world in an amazing way and multiplies the speed of comprehensive individual and social development away from class and discrimination and prevents "the vulgarity of being human and the decay of human existence".

Therefore: talent is a set of abilities, motivations, and social understanding that is created and formed in interaction with the environment and formal and informal experiences. Talent emerges in children through observation and explanation of the surrounding world, discovery of motivational stimuli in the learning process, and understanding of social concepts and gender stereotypes. These three axes, as basic components, act like a string that, in interaction with each other, leads to the creation, growth, and flourishing of the child's talent.

Observation of the surrounding world activates cognitive processes, learning motivations move the child towards development, and social understanding shapes the child's identity and psychological structure and links it to cultural and social frameworks, and is how the child fills himself with life or empties himself from life.

This definition of talent, emphasizing three important axes for children, reflects a comprehensive look at the psychological and social processes in the formation of talents. Let's examine each of these axes in turn.

Observing and explaining the surrounding world (axis one):

This axis emphasizes the child's ability to interpret and explain his environment. Children learn through active observation, and this way of observing and understanding the world around them can indicate the development of specific abilities in areas such as problem solving, analytical thinking, and creativity. The ability to explain what they observe can also be a sign of linguistic or social intelligence. The extent to which they have real experience of their environment without judgment or threat is very important.

Formal and informal learning motivation (axis two):

This axis refers to the motivational aspect of talent. Children may find motivation to learn in formal (such as school) or informal (such as play or everyday activities) environments. This motivation is one of the key factors in the creation and growth of the talent network, because it causes the child to learn and develop his abilities spontaneously. The more the child is the god of his own land, the more successful his motivation will be to develop the potential empowerment network that we call talent. This motivation to learn increases the child's power to confront, conquer, and discover.

Understanding social concepts and gender stereotypes (axis three):

This axis focuses on the influence of social and gender concepts in the formation of the child's psychological structure and ultimately his talent. How children understand social roles and stereotypes, and how these concepts play a role in the development of their identity and abilities, can be very important in creating a network of development that is talent. The ability to adapt and understand these concepts indicates the cognitive and social potential of the child. Most gender stereotypes are a mobile prison for children that carries the prisoner (child) and the jailer (parents and teachers) with them for the rest of their lives. Many approaches to gender stereotypes prevent the individual from feeling competent and prevent the child from experiencing the natural life. It used to be believed that girls were not capable of continuing their studies in mathematics... and many examples of the results of accepting gender stereotypes in the process of child failure are noticeable.

In short, our definition of giftedness as a “string” that runs through these three axes is a powerful metaphor that reflects the complex interplay between observation, motivation, and social concepts in creating a network of developmental and giftedness. This definition implicitly emphasizes a multifaceted and holistic approach to giftedness, including both cognitive and social and motivational factors.

3. Matching the author’s definition with contemporary theories

As you have seen, our definition of giftedness, which runs through the three axes of observation, motivation, and social understanding, takes a multidimensional approach to giftedness and is similar to the views of some theorists and psychologists who emphasize social, cognitive, and motivational processes. Here are some key theories and individuals who have addressed giftedness in similar ways:

Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences:

In his theory of multiple intelligences, Gardner believes that intelligence (which is considered similar to giftedness) has many aspects and includes not only cognitive abilities but also social, linguistic, and artistic abilities. He also emphasizes that these abilities develop in different environments (formal and informal). Gardner also emphasizes the role of motivation and culture in the development of giftedness, similar to the motivational and social axes that we have mentioned in our definition.

Lev Vygotsky - Sociocultural Theory:

Vygotsky is one of the theorists who emphasized the influence of the social environment and culture on cognitive development and giftedness. His theory emphasizes the role of social and cultural interactions in learning and developing giftedness. The third axis of our definition, understanding social concepts and stereotypes, is consistent with Vygotsky's view of how the social and cultural environment influences a child's development.

Carl Rogers - Humanistic Theory:

Rogers emphasized the importance of the environment and the individual's intrinsic motivations in the development of talents. He believed that children naturally have a desire to learn and grow, provided they are placed in a positive and supportive environment. This concept is similar to the second axis of our definition, which is related to formal and informal learning motivations.

Abraham Maslow - Theory of Human Needs:

In his theory of needs, Maslow refers to self-actualization, which means the realization of one's potential talents and abilities. He believes that the intrinsic motivations and social and psychological needs of the individual play an important role in the development of talent. This view is somewhat consistent with the motivation and psychological structure axes in our definition.

Albert Bandura - Social Learning Theory:

Bandura emphasizes the importance of observation and imitation in the learning process. He believes that children learn through observing the behavior of others and social interactions, which is consistent with the first axis of our definition (how to observe and explain the world around them).

These theorists have defined and developed talents in various fields of psychology, sociology, and education, and their definitions are similar to our approach, which is multidimensional and comprehensive.

The author's definition of talent reflects a deep and careful attention to the various aspects that play a role in the development and flourishing of a child's talent. The author comprehensively addresses three key axes that include not only cognitive aspects (how to observe and interpret the environment), but also motivational factors (what motivates a child to learn) and social factors (the role of social groups and gender stereotypes). This shows that he has paid attention to the complexities of human development, beyond innate or innate abilities.

In the author's opinion, this multifaceted approach that he presents is a good example of how giftedness is not just a simple, one-dimensional concept. Rather, it is a set of dynamic processes shaped by the environment, social interactions, and intrinsic motivations. This definition is flexible and compatible with many modern psychological theories. Also, our focus on social understanding and gender stereotypes in gifted development demonstrates our sensitivity to cultural and social influences that are often ignored in traditional definitions of giftedness.

Comparing the Selection Theory of Talent with the Theories of Other Thinkers

Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences:1

In his famous theory, Howard Gardner introduces multiple intelligences as different types of intelligence and talent, including linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, musical, bodily-kinesthetic, intrapersonal, interpersonal, and naturalistic intelligences. Gardner emphasizes that intelligence exists in a multifaceted manner and in different areas, and each person can have talent in one or more specific areas.

Similarities:

Both the author's and Gardner's definitions are multidimensional, and both definitions believe that talent or intelligence is not limited to innate and inherent abilities. Also, both theories refer to the influence of the environment and the individual's experiences on the development of talents. The author also emphasizes formal and informal observation and learning, which is consistent with Gardner's view of the flexibility and multifaceted nature of intelligences.

Differences:

The author's definition emphasizes the interaction between learning motivations and social structures, while Gardner's focuses more on the type and diversity of intelligences and less on social aspects such as gender stereotypes or the influence of the social environment on the development of talent.

Lev Vygotsky's Sociocultural Theory:

In his sociocultural theory, Lev Vygotsky believes that a child's cognitive development and learning are largely shaped by social and cultural interactions. He introduced the concept of the "zone of proximal development" which refers to the interaction between a child's abilities and learning opportunities in the social environment.

Similarities:

The third axis of the author's definition, namely understanding social concepts and gender stereotypes, is consistent with Vygotsky's theory. Like Vygotsky, his definition believes that the development of talents is influenced by cultural and social factors and that these social interactions can play a role in strengthening or weakening talent.

Differences:

The author's definition focuses more on specific cultural influences such as gender stereotypes, while Vygotsky emphasizes social interactions in general and the importance of adult and peer participation in cognitive development.

Albert Bandura's Social Learning Theory:

Albert Bandura, a social learning theorist, believes that humans learn by observing and imitating others. Bandura emphasizes that children are inspired by the behaviors of their social role models and strengthen their talents and abilities through observing the environment and social learning.

Similarities:

The first axis of the author's definition, namely observing and explaining the world around them, is consistent with Bandura's theory of observational learning. Both theories believe that observing and imitating others is one of the main ways for children to grow and develop their talents.

Differences:

In addition to observation, the author's definition also pays attention to learning motivations and the role of social and cultural structures, while Bandura focuses more on how learning occurs through observation and the effects of social models and pays less attention to motivational or structural aspects.

Abraham Maslow's Self-Actualization Theory:

Abraham Maslow introduced the highest level of needs in his pyramid of needs as "self-actualization", which means the realization of potential talents and abilities. He believed that if basic human needs are met, a person can reach the highest level of development and talent.

Similarities:

Our definition of talent also implicitly refers to the process of self-actualization. He believes that talents are shaped by internal motivations and social structures, and eventually the individual reaches a stage of growth and development where he can fully develop his talents.

Differences:

Maslow emphasizes more on basic and psychological human needs, while our definition pays special attention to cultural and social influences in addition to psychological needs. Maslow did not directly mention the role of gender stereotypes or social structures in the development of talent.

Final conclusion:

Our definition of talent, emphasizing three main axes (observation, motivation, and social understanding), takes a comprehensive and multidimensional look at the category of talent. Compared to the theories of thinkers such as Gardner, Vygotsky, Bandura, and Maslow, this definition shows that we have paid attention to the complex interaction between psychological, social, and cultural factors in the development of talents. Unlike some theorists who emphasize specific aspects such as cognitive abilities or psychological needs, the presented theory offers a comprehensive approach that simultaneously addresses different dimensions of giftedness. This approach, while maintaining relevance to other theories, provides an innovative and practical perspective for understanding giftedness in children.

Resources:

Gardner, H. (1983). Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences. Basic Books.

Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Harvard University Press.

Bandura, A. (1977). Social Learning Theory. Prentice Hall.

Maslow, A. H. (1943). A Theory of Human Motivation. Psychological Review, 50(4), 370–396.

Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The Ecology of Human Development. Harvard University Press.

Sternberg, R. J. (2005). The Theory of Successful Intelligence. Interamerican Journal of Psychology, 39(2), 189–202.