ABSTRACT
High achievement takes more than talent and hard work. It requires psychological preparedness, emotional and social competencies, attitudes, and beliefs that drive performance. These are the psychosocial variables associated with talent development. Researchers are beginning to attempt to tease out the mediating roles these variables play in achievement. Motivation is viewed as the most important factor for performance in a domain. The role of emotions in achievement has been widely studied across talent domains and contexts. Emotions influence engagement, motivation, cognitive resources, attention, and use of strategies. Hope, hopelessness, joy, anger, shame, anxiety, and pride are among the emotions examined, but anxiety is the feeling investigated most often. Anxiety and stress and their impact on performance have been widely investigated across domains and across cultures. Talent development is not a private enterprise. The role of social supports seems to change with the stages of talent development.
