Parenting Talent: A Qualitative Investigation of the Roles Parents Play in Talent Development

Previous research has linked talent development to four factors—early experience, coaching, practice, and motivation. In addition to these factors, contemporary talent experts suggest that parents play a critical role in talent development. The purpose of the present study was to uncover parents’ in-time perspectives on the talent development roles they play, especially with regard to previously established talent factors. The present study used qualitative methods to collect and analyze data from the parents of 24 supremely talented children in a variety of talent domains such as chess, baton twirling, figure skating, and music. Results reconfirmed that talent is linked to the four factors and newly established that parents play a central, if not critical, role in enacting all four factors.