To what extent is exceptional ability heritable?

Nature or nurture?

This topic tends to be quite political—it’s hard to find even-handed writing on the subject. We can mostly only measure loose indicators, but be careful of the distinction between what’s being measured and what’s being claimed. For instance, Ericsson et al (1993, p. 364–365) present various non-associations between ability tests and expertise, but that’s not at all the same as demonstrating heritability.

• Exceptional ability usually can’t be predicted by general ability tests
• Exceptional ability may correlate with personality traits (which are somewhat heritable)
• Physical attributes, like height and muscle density, are heritable, so exceptional athletic ability is at least partially heritable.
• Minor heritable differences in ability may lead to higher natural performance in childhood, which may cause more practice, in a virtuous cycle (argued in Ericsson et al, 1993; central thesis of Coyle, 2009).

Ericsson et al argue (1993, p. 365): exceptional performance doesn’t generalize -> acquired knowledge and skill are important to expertise -> exceptional ability isn’t heritable. I don’t think this holds, because heritable traits could help people acquire non-transferable skills more effectively.

Related: Growth mindset

Q. What’s an important class of exceptions to the general observation that talent can’t be explained by heritable traits?
A. Sports: height, muscle fiber type distributions, and other highly relevant traits are heritable.

Q. How might small heritable variations in ability be amplified into large differences in adult expertise?
A. A child might perform better at something without training due to some heritable trait, which might lead to more practice, hence more expertise.

References

Coyle, D. (2009). The Talent Code. Bantam Books.

Ericsson, K. A., Krampe, R. T., & Tesch-Römer, C. (1993). The role of deliberate practice in the acquisition of expert performance. Psychological Review, 100(3), 363. Ericsson, K. A., Krampe, R. T., & Tesch-Römer, C. (1993). The role of deliberate practice in the acquisition of expert performance. Psychological Review, 100(3), 363

Moreau, D., Macnamara, B., & Hambrick, Z. (2018). Overstating the Role of Environmental Factors in Success: A Cautionary Note. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 28, 096372141879730