PT140.S4.P3.Q16

PrepTest 140 - Section 4 - Passage 3 - Question 16

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P1

In certain fields of human endeavor, such as music, chess, and some athletic activities, the performance of the best practitioners is so outstanding, so superior even to the performance of other highly experienced individuals in the field, that some people believe some notion of innate talent must be invoked to account for this highest level of performance. ███

Phenomenon / OP Hypothesis · Exceptional performance explained by innate talent
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Evidence for OP Hypothesis · Heritability of traits; inborn traits like motor coordination, reflex speed, etc.
P2

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Critique · Not much systematic research
Existing estimates of heritability based on general population, not exceptional performers.
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Alternative Hypothesis · Exceptional performance explained by acquired complex skills and physiological adaptations
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Evidence for Alternative Hypothesis · Exceptional performance is localized to the particular domain
For example, Michael Jordan's adventures in baseball. Chess players have exceptional memories but only for typical configurations of chess pieces.
P3

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Evidence · Supporting acquired trait hypothesis and countering innate ability hypothesis
Most exceptional adults were not exceptional children; they trained early; skills like memory and ability to process information acquired; most traits (e.g. aerobic capacity and percentage of muscle fibers) can be altered by training.
P4

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Conclusion · Evidence does not support innate ability hypothesis
Because extended intense training along with a common level of talent can explain the difference in performance.
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Implications · Motivation as better predictor of superior performance
Because sustained training depends on level of interest, hence motivational factors are better predictors of superior performance than innate talent.
Passage Style
Critique or debate
Phenomenon-hypothesis (RC)
Show answer
16.

Which one of the following ███ ████ ██████████ ██ ████████ ████ ███ ████████

a

In at least ████ ██████ ██ █████ █████████ ██ █████ ██ ██████████ ██ ███████ ████ ███████████ ██ █████████ ███████ ██ ███ █ ████████ █████████ ████ █████████ ████████ ███ ███████████ ██████ ███████

Supported. If you’re looking at someone who shows exceptional performance, we cannot immediately tell whether that person has exceptional talent, because their performance might be a result of intense training combined with merely high, but not exceptional talent.

29%
b

Performance at the ████ ███████ █████ █████████ ████████ ████ ███ ███████ █████ ██ ██████ ██████ ███ ████ █████ ██ ██████████ ██████████ █████████

Anti-supported. The author suggests that the “highest level of innate talent” is not required for exceptional performance.

8%
c

Exceptional innate talent ██ █ ████████████ ██ ███████████ ███████████ ██ ████ ██████ ██ █████ ████████ ███ ███ ███████

Anti-supported. The author suggests that exceptional innate talent is not a requirement for exceptional performance. Although she doesn’t deny the possibility that it might be required for exceptional performance in some fields, she doesn’t suggest that it is required in some fields.

4%
d

Exceptional innate talent ██ ████████ ██ ████████ ██ ███ ███████████ ██ ████████ ████████████ █████ ████ ██████ ███████ ██ ████████████

Not supported, because the author never suggests that exceptional talent can lead to complacency.

2%
e

The importance of ██████████ ███ ████████ ██ ███ ███████████ ██ ████████ ███████████ █████ ████ ██ ████ ██████ ███ ██████████ ██ ███████████ █████ ████ ███ ██████ ██ ███ ███ ██ ██████ ███████ ██ ████████████

Not supported, because the author doesn’t suggest that talent plays no role in the development of exceptional skill. Rather, the author says that intense training, together with the talent of a reasonably competent person, can lead to exceptional performance.

56%

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