Text с Parental Style

Exceptional ability is the result of a close and constructive relationship in childhood, claims Benjamin Bloom, professor at the University of Chicago.

In his study of 120 people specially talented in music, art, sport, mathematics and science found that none of them showed remarkable talent in early life. It was perseverance that made the difference. They showed the ability to pursue their chosen field over many years until they made it to the top. Of the musicians in the study, for example, it took an average of 17 years reach international recognition from their first formal lessons. The fastest took 12 years and slowest 25.

These high achievers were not the result of parental pressure and unremitting drilling. Their specialization began as an amusement and an exploration shared with a parent or caring ad which grew into a lifelong passion.

The parents themselves did not need to be adept in the field of their child's future talent; father of a famous mathematician would say:” This is a half, this is a quarter, this is an eighth while feeding him omelette at breakfast, and distinguished pianists in the study had the opportunity from birth to listen to music and identify the names of well-known composers musicians”.

"For the most part, during the early years of learning there was little attention to or concern about the "correctness" of the work. The encouragement of interest and involvement took precedence over the assessment of progress in any formal way", says Lauren Sosniak, one of psychologists working in Professor Bloom's Chicago project.

"Students, parents and teachers seemed unconcerned with objective measures of achievement. Virtually any effort was applauded by parents or teachers or both," she writes in Encouraging Exceptional Skills and Talents (published by the British Psychological Society). "The emphasis during this period was on lots of field-specific playful activity and exploring possibilities. In the short run, this may have obscured or even inhibited early signs of unusual talent; in the long run may have paid dividends."

The opportunity to explore and play and the encouragement to do so can enhance performance of many children, and the talents of some will be exceptional. The danger is that so parents will apply pressure on their children to excel in an area of the parent's choosing in pursuit of high achievement for its own sake rather than for the love of it. This may produce a degree of anxiety which is completely counter productive.

These findings are supported by a study of parental styles conducted by Professor Mihal! Csikszentmihalyi, also from the University of Chicago, which identified two kinds of parental style - the supportive and the stimulating. Stimulating parents were actively involved in what the children did, steering them towards certain fields and pushing them hard, often acting as a tutor. Although they worked hard for long hours, these children's level of alertness and happiness was far below that of children in more balanced family environments and were frequently the victims of burn-out.

Supportive parents, on the other hand, created a harmonious home governed by clear rules. They actively helped their children to follow their pet interests and praised their results whatever standard was achieved. The children who did best in Professor Csikszentmihalyi's study we those whose parents were both supportive and stimulating.