Musical Talent: Innate or Acquired? Perceptions of Students, Parents, and Teachers

Abstract

Secondary analysis of descriptive data concerning musically gifted students, their parents, and their teachers yields distinctive attribution patterns for each group. The patterns describe this group of students as attributing much of their success to inborn ability and hard work. These accomplished students, however, describe family members and friends as discouraging their musical development. Parents, in sharp contrast, report their children as having only ordinary levels of inborn talent, and they attribute their children's musical accomplishments to encouragement provided by family and friends. Teachers in this study attribute students' musical development to innate talent, hard work, and schooling. Differences among these attribution patterns are surprising, but are consistent with research that suggests that individuals often make causal attributions that are self-serving, giving a good deal of credit to their own characteristics or influence.