As piano/music teachers, we often marvel at students who seem to have an innate talent. They cruise through lessons, mastering difficult pieces with ease, consistently doing well at each lesson. But is this natural talent truly the key to success, or do the diligent strivers who put in hours of practice hold the real advantage?

This question drove Dr. Chia-Jung Tsay’s research on the “naturalness bias,” which offers some interesting insights into our perceptions of talent and hard work.

In her 2016 paper, “Privileging Naturals Over Strivers: The Costs of the Naturalness Bias,” Dr. Chia-Jung Tsay explores how our preference for “naturals” over “strivers” impacts judgments in both musical and other contexts (entrepreneurial). This phenomenon is deeply rooted in social psychology – a field that examines how people’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the presence of others.

Tsay conducted a series of studies to examine whether people tend to favor individuals who appear to have natural talent, even when their actual performance is identical to that of those who achieve success through hard work.

In one study, Tsay presented participants with biographies of two classical musicians. One musician was described as a naturally-gifted pianist and the other as a diligent striver. After listening to music clips from both musicians, participants overwhelmingly favored the “natural” performer, judging them as more talented and likely to succeed​. What they didn’t know was that both of the clips were identical and played by the same musician.

This bias was not limited to music. In another study, participants evaluated startup pitches from entrepreneurs described either as naturally talented or as hardworking. Once again, the “natural” entrepreneurs were seen as more capable and their business proposals more viable, even though the pitches were identical​.

As piano/music teachers, these findings can have profound implications for how we perceive and nurture our students. It also encourage us to reflect on our biases. Are we unconsciously favoring students who seem to have natural talent? Are we providing equal opportunities for all students to succeed?

While it is natural to be impressed by students who display early signs of talent, Tsay’s research suggests that we must be cautious of allowing this bias to influence our teaching and assessment. For example, teachers might give more attention and opportunities to naturally talented students, believing they have higher potential. This can lead to neglecting students who may not show immediate promise but could excel with encouragement and support. Furthermore, there could be higher expectations for naturally talented students, more positive feedback than constructive criticism (and conversely, with others, more critical feedback than positive feedback).

One key takeaway from the research is the importance of valuing effort and persistence. It’s essential to recognize and reward the effort and persistence of all students, not just those who seem to have an innate ability. Encouraging a growth mindset, rather than a fixed one ,where students understand that hard work and dedication can lead to improvement, can help combat the naturalness bias. As music educators, it is our responsibility to foster an environment where both natural talent and hard work are valued and where every student has the opportunity to succeed.

Source: Tsay CJ. Privileging Naturals Over Strivers: The Costs of the Naturalness Bias. Pers Soc Psychol Bull. 2016 Jan;42(1):40-53. doi: 10.1177/0146167215611638. Epub 2015 Oct 19. PMID: 26481449.

Thank you for reading!