They often talk about the abilities of a person, implying his inclination to a certain type of activity. At the same time, few people think that this concept is scientific and implies the level of development of this quality, as well as the possibility of its improvement. Not everyone knows what levels of development of abilities exist, how to work on improving them and learn how to use them to the maximum. Meanwhile, it is not enough to have any ability, this quality must be constantly developed if you want to really succeed in a certain area.
What are abilities, the level of development of abilities
According to the scientific definition, ability is an individual and psychological feature of a particular person, which determines his ability to carry out a specific activity. Congenital prerequisites for the emergence of certain abilities are inclinations that, unlike the first, are laid down in a person from birth. It should be borne in mind that abilities are a dynamic concept, which means their constant formation,development and manifestation in various fields of activity. Ability development levels depend on many factors that should be taken into account for continuous self-improvement.
According to Rubinstein, their development occurs in a spiral, which means the need to realize the opportunities provided by one level of abilities in order to move on to a higher one.
Types of abilities
The level of development of personality abilities is divided into two types:
- reproductive, when a person demonstrates the ability to successfully master various skills, acquire and apply knowledge, and also implement activities according to an already proposed model or idea;
- creative, when a person has the ability to create something new, original.
In the course of successful acquisition of knowledge and skills, a person moves from one level of development to another.
In addition, abilities are also divided into general and special, according to Teplov's theory. The general ones are those that are demonstrated in any field of activity, while the special ones are manifested in a specific area.
Ability Levels
The following levels of development of this quality are distinguished:
- ability;
- giftedness;
- talent;
- genius.
In order for a person to be gifted, it is necessary that there be an organic combination of general and special abilities, and their dynamic development is also necessary.
Giftedness is the second level of ability development
Giftedness implies a set of various abilities that are developed at a sufficiently high level and provide the individual with the opportunity to successfully master any type of activity. In this case, the possibility of mastering is specifically implied, since, among other things, a person is required to directly master the necessary skills and abilities for the successful implementation of the idea.
Giftedness is of the following types:
- artistic, implying great achievements in artistic activity;
- general - intellectual or academic, when the levels of development of a person's abilities are manifested in good results in learning, mastering various knowledge in various scientific fields;
- creative, involving the ability to generate new ideas and demonstrate a penchant for invention;
- social, providing high social intelligence, identifying leadership qualities, as well as the ability to build constructive relationships with people and possess organizational skills;
- practical, manifested in the ability of a person to apply their own intelligence to achieve their goals, knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of a person and the ability to use this knowledge.
In addition, there are types of giftedness in various narrow areas, such as mathematical talent, literary talent, etc.
Talent - a high level of development of creative abilities
Ifa person who has pronounced abilities in a certain area of \u200b\u200bactivity, constantly improves them, they say that he has a talent for it. It should be borne in mind that this quality is also not innate, despite the fact that many are accustomed to think so. When we talk about the levels of development of creative abilities, talent is a fairly high indicator of a person's ability to engage in a certain field of activity. However, do not forget that this is nothing more than pronounced abilities that need to be constantly developed, striving for self-improvement. No natural inclinations will lead to the recognition of talent without hard work on oneself. In this case, talent is formed from a certain combination of abilities.
Not one, even the highest level of development of the ability to do something, can be called a talent, since in order to achieve a result, it is necessary to have such factors as a flexible mind, strong will, great ability to work and a rich imagination.
Genius is the highest level of ability development
A person is called a genius if his activity has left a tangible mark on the development of society. Genius is the highest level of development of abilities that a few possess. This quality is inextricably linked with the originality of the individual. A distinctive quality of genius, unlike other levels of development of abilities, is that it, as a rule, shows its "profile". Any side in a genius personality is inevitabledominates, which leads to the bright manifestation of certain abilities.
Diagnosis of abilities
Identification of abilities is still one of the most difficult tasks of psychology. At different times, many scientists put forward their own methods for studying this quality. However, at present there is no technique that allows you to identify a person’s ability with absolute accuracy, as well as determine its level.
The main problem was that abilities were measured quantitatively, the level of development of general abilities was deduced. However, in fact, they are a qualitative indicator that must be considered in dynamics. Different psychologists put forward their own methods for measuring this quality. For example, L. S. Vygotsky suggested assessing a child's abilities through the zone of proximal development. This suggested a double diagnosis, when the child solved the problem first together with an adult, and then independently.
Another method of measuring abilities with the help of testing was proposed by the founder of differential psychology - the English scientist F. G alton. The purpose of the methodology was to identify not only the presence of the ability, but also the level of its development. First of all, the levels of development of intellectual abilities were studied using tests for general intelligence, then the subject answered a block of questions that revealed the presence of special abilities, as well as their level.
The following diagnostic method belongs to the French scientists A. Binet and Simon. Here also in the first placethe level of intellectual abilities was determined using 30 tasks arranged in ascending order of difficulty. The main emphasis was on the ability to understand the task and be able to reason logically, how it can be solved. Scientists have suggested that it is this skill that underlies intelligence. They own the concept of mental age, which is determined by the level of solving intellectual problems. Each completed task was a criterion for determining this indicator. After the death of scientists, the tests were translated into English and presented in the United States. Later, in 1916, the American scientist Lewis Terman modified the test, and the new version, which was given the name "Standward-Binet scale", began to be considered a universal technique for identifying abilities.
There are many methods for identifying specific abilities, but they are all based on determining intellectual indicators in the first place. This is due to the opinion of scientists that for the development of creative and other abilities, the level of intellectual development must be above average.
Diagnosis of intellectual abilities
The level of intellectual development of a person implies his ability to use his mind for thinking, understanding, listening, making decisions, observing, perceiving relationships and other mental operations. One of the most widely used methods for determining the degree of development of this quality are IQ tests, in which a certain set of tasks is offered, and a fixed amount of time is allotted to complete them. The scale of points that can bescore when passing this test, is from 0 to 160 and represents a range from debility to genius. IQ tests are for people of all ages.
Another popular technique - STUR - also reveals abilities. The level of development of intellectual abilities in schoolchildren is the goal of diagnosing this method. Includes 6 subtests, each of which contains from 15 to 25 tasks of the same type. The first two subtests are aimed at identifying the general awareness of schoolchildren, and the rest identify:
- the ability to find analogies;
- logical classifications;
- logical generalizations;
- finding the rule for constructing a number series.
The method is intended for group research and is limited in time. The high statistical indicators of the STD method make it possible to judge the reliability of the detected results.
Diagnosis of creativity
A universal method for measuring the level of creativity is the Guilford method, which exists in various modifications. Qualities of creativity that can be identified using this method:
- originality in making associations;
- semantic and semantic flexibility;
- the ability to create new ideas;
- the level of development of figurative thinking.
In this study, the subject is offered various situations, the way out of which is possible only with a non-standard approach, which implies the presence of creative abilities.
Qualities a respondent must have to pass the test:
- perception and correct understanding of the proposed tasks;
- working memory;
- divergence - the ability to discover the original in the ordinary;
- convergence - the ability to identify an object by qualitatively different features.
High development of creative abilities, as a rule, implies intellectual development at the appropriate level, as well as the presence of self-confidence, a sense of humor, fluent speech and impulsiveness.
The main difference between tests for identifying creative abilities and similar tools designed to determine intellectual abilities is the absence of a time limit on solving tasks, a complex structure that implies the possibility of several solutions, as well as an indirect construction of sentences. Each successfully completed task in the test indicates the presence of an ability for a particular area of creative activity.
Other methods for diagnosing the level of ability development
A person's abilities can manifest at any age. However, the sooner they are identified, the greater the likelihood of their successful development. That is why now in educational institutions from a very young age, work is required, during which the levels of development of abilities in children are revealed. Based on the results of work with schoolchildren, classes are conducted to develop the identified inclinations to a particular area. Such work cannot be limited only to the school, parents should also take an active part in the work in this direction.
The most widely used methods for diagnosing abilities, both general and specific:
- "The problem of Everier", designed to assess the purposefulness of thinking, that is, to what extent a person can concentrate on the task.
- "Memory study using the technique of learning ten words", aimed at identifying memory processes.
- "Verbal fantasy" - determining the level of development of creative abilities, primarily imagination.
- "Remember and dot" - diagnosis of attention span.
- "Compasses" - the study of the features of spatial thinking.
- "Anagrams" - the definition of combinatorial abilities.
- "Analytical Mathematical Ability" - identifying similar aptitudes.
- "Ability" - identifying the success of the performance of activities in a particular area.
- "Your creative age", aimed at diagnosing the correspondence of passport age with psychological.
- "Your creativity" - diagnostics of creative possibilities.
The number of techniques and their exact list are determined based on the goals of the diagnostic examination. At the same time, the end result of the work is not revealing the ability of a person. The levels of development of abilities must constantly increase, which is why after the diagnosis, work must be carried out to improve certainquality.
Conditions for increasing the level of development of abilities
One of the most important criteria for improving this quality is the conditions. The levels of development of abilities must constantly be in dynamics, moving from one stage to another. It is important for parents to provide their child with conditions for the realization of his identified inclinations. However, success depends almost entirely on a person's performance and focus on results.
The fact that a child initially has certain inclinations does not at all guarantee that they are transformed into abilities. As an example, we can consider a situation where a good prerequisite for the further development of musical abilities is the presence of a person with a fine ear. But the specific structure of the auditory and central nervous apparatus is only a prerequisite for the possible development of these abilities. A certain structure of the brain does not affect either the choice of the future profession of its owner, or the opportunities that will be provided to him for the development of his inclinations. In addition, due to the development of the auditory analyzer, it is possible that abstract-logical abilities will be formed, in addition to musical ones. This is due to the fact that the logic and speech of a person are closely related to the work of the auditory analyzer.
Thus, if you have identified your levels of ability development, diagnosis, development and eventual success will depend only on you. In addition to the appropriate external conditions, you must be aware that only daily workwill turn natural inclinations into skills that in the future can develop into a real talent. And if your abilities are unusually bright, then perhaps the result of self-improvement will be the recognition of your genius.
