A study examining the growth of geniuses in various fields, including Olympic medalists and Nobel Prize winners, reveals that the traditional way of raising talented children is wrong
An analysis of nearly 35,000 elite performers in fields including science, sports, music, and chess revealed that childhood talent rarely leads to superstardom as adults. Most world-class performers develop slowly and explore multiple disciplines before specializing in one area.
Recent discoveries on the acquisition of the highest levels of human performance | Science
Science says we've been nurturing “gifted” kids all wrong | ScienceDaily
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251221043218.htm
High-performing talent plays a key role in driving innovation and tackling the world's most pressing challenges, so society has a vested interest in understanding how top talent is nurtured.
For the past few decades, research on talent and expertise has suggested that outstanding achievement results from a combination of strong early performance—such as excellence in school subjects, sports, and concerts—and specific abilities like intelligence, coordination, and musical talent. Consequently, many gifted education programs focus on early identification of talented young performers and their rapid mastery of specialized fields.
However, a paper titled 'Recent Findings about Achieving Peak Human Performance,' published in the academic journal Science in December 2025, suggests that many of the long-standing approaches to gifted education and talent development are based on flawed assumptions.
The study was led by Professor Arne Güllich of the Department of Sport Science at Kaiserslautern-Landau University in Germany. While most previous research on talent has focused on young or sub-elite performers, the research team included information from a broader elite population, including world-class adult athletes, to examine how talent develops.
The study reviewed large datasets from numerous previous studies and analyzed the development of 34,839 top performers from around the world, including Nobel Prize winners, Olympic medalists, top chess players, and renowned classical musicians.
Science Daily noted that 'for the first time, this study allows us to compare how world-class performers develop across different fields.'
One of the most striking conclusions is that world-class performers follow developmental paths that differ from long-held assumptions. Professor Güllich, who led the research, said, 'A common pattern emerged across a variety of fields.'
First, those who emerged as the best early in life rarely became the best later in life. Second, those who ultimately reached the highest levels tended to improve gradually in their youth, rather than being the top achievers of their age. We also found that those who would go on to achieve the highest levels of success in a particular field generally did not focus on a single field in their youth. Rather, they explored a wide range of activities, including different academic fields, musical genres, sports, and professions.
The research team proposed three hypotheses to explain this pattern. The first, the 'exploration and matching hypothesis,' posits that exposure to multiple disciplines ultimately leads to successful identification of a discipline that best suits one's abilities. The second, the 'enhanced learning capital hypothesis,' posits that learning in a variety of disciplines strengthens overall learning ability, making it easier to maintain peak performance and continually improve in one's chosen field. The third, the 'limited risk hypothesis,' posits that engaging in multiple disciplines reduces the likelihood of mental health damage and setbacks, such as burnout, unhealthy work-rest balance, and low motivation.
Professor Güllich suggested that the three hypotheses may have a combined effect, saying, 'Those who find their optimal field, increase their potential for long-term learning, and reduce the risk of career impediments are more likely to achieve world-class performance.'
Based on the survey results, Professor Güllich offers clear guidelines for supporting young talent: First, the survey results suggest that early specialization in a single field should be avoided. Instead, he argues that young people should be given the opportunity to explore multiple areas of interest and receive support in two or three fields.
The fields young people choose to study do not necessarily have to be closely related. Combinations such as languages and mathematics, or geography and philosophy, can be equally valuable, Professor Güllich pointed out. A famous example is Albert Einstein, one of the greatest physicists of all time, who also had a deep musical interest and learned to play the violin as a child.
The research team argues that the results of this study should provide important guidance for changing the way talent development programs are designed, and Professor Güllich said, 'This could expand opportunities to develop world-class performers in science, sports, music, and other fields.'
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