The purpose of this research was to investigate how intrapersonal and environmental factors shape the beliefs and experiences of talented athletes in Hong Kong, using a case study approach. The four participants involved in the study were elite athletes recognised for their outstanding sporting achievements. A literature review of previous studies suggested that genetic and environmental factors influence talent development in the sporting domain, with four key themes worthy of further investigation: self-perceptions of natural abilities in sport (talent), self-motivation, coach, and family and school. To achieve a deeper understanding of these variables, a qualitative approach involving semi-structured interviews was used to examine the nature and complexity of the process of talent development. The results indicated that the participants did not tend to perceive themselves as significantly talented or “very special”. However, there was evidence that the four factors identified above critically influenced the development of their talent, both positively and negatively. Based on the participants’ stories, a conceptual framework was constructed to represent the interplay among the major influences on talent development. The findings have implications for improving or modifying the strategies commonly used to maximise talent development in elite athletes in Hong Kong. However, the limitations of this small-scale research study are acknowledged. / published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

Ho, Wing-yee. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 70-82). / Text in English; abstracts in English and Chinese. / Ho, Wing-yee. / Abstract --- p.ii / Acknowledgments --- p.iv / List of Table --- p.viii / List of Figure --- p.ix / Chapter CHAPTER ONE --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Background information --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Purpose of the study --- p.7 / Chapter 1.3 --- Definition of terms --- p.7 / Chapter 1.4 --- Delimitations --- p.9 / Chapter 1.5 --- Limitations --- p.10 / Chapter 1.6 --- Significance of the study --- p.10 / Chapter CHAPTER TWO --- Review of Literature --- p.12 / Chapter 2.1 --- Global self-esteem --- p.12 / Chapter 2.1.1 --- Theoretical background --- p.12 / Chapter 2.1.2 --- Self-esteem in children --- p.17 / Chapter 2.1.3 --- Self-esteem and sports --- p.19 / Chapter 2.1.4 --- Self-esteem and academic achievement --- p.20 / Chapter 2.1.5 --- Self-esteem and gender --- p.22 / Chapter 2.2 --- Attributional style --- p.24 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Theoretical background --- p.24 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- Attributional style and academic level --- p.27 / Chapter 2.2.3 --- Attributional style and sports --- p.28 / Chapter 2.3 --- Attribution and self-esteem --- p.29 / Chapter 2.4 --- Summary --- p.31 / Chapter CHAPTER THREE --- Method --- p.33 / Chapter 3.1 --- Participants --- p.33 / Chapter 3.2 --- Instrumentation --- p.33 / Chapter 3.2.1 --- In assessing global self-esteem --- p.33 / Chapter 3.2.2 --- In assessing general attributional style --- p.34 / Chapter 3.2.3 --- In assessing perceived sports competence --- p.35 / Chapter 3.2.4 --- In assessing sports specific attributional style --- p.36 / Chapter 3.3 --- Procedures --- p.37 / Chapter 3.4 --- Statistical analysis --- p.38 / Chapter CHAPTER FOUR --- Results --- p.40 / Chapter 4.1 --- Descriptive statistics --- p.40 / Chapter 4.2 --- Reliability for internal consistency --- p.41 / Chapter 4.3 --- The effect of gender and age on global self-esteem and attributions --- p.43 / Chapter 4.4 --- The effect of school banding and perceived sports competence on global self-esteem by gender --- p.45 / Chapter 4.4.1 --- The relationship between academic achievement and global self-esteem by gender --- p.46 / Chapter 4.4.2 --- The relationship between perceived sports competence and global self-esteem by gender --- p.47 / Chapter 4.5 --- The effect of school banding and perceived sports competence on general attributions --- p.48 / Chapter 4.5.1 --- The relationship between academic achievement and general attributions --- p.48 / Chapter 4.5.2 --- The relationship between perceived sports competence and general attributions --- p.49 / Chapter 4.6 --- The effect of school banding and perceived sports competence on sports specific attributions by high school level --- p.50 / Chapter 4.6.1 --- The relationship between academic achievement and sports specific attributions in junior high schools --- p.51 / Chapter CHAPTER FIVE --- Discussion --- p.53 / Chapter 5.1 --- The effect of gender and age on global self-esteem and attributions --- p.53 / Chapter 5.2 --- The effect of school banding and perceived sports competence on global self-esteem by gender --- p.56 / Chapter 5.2.1 --- The relationship between academic achievement and global self-esteem in high schools' female athletes --- p.57 / Chapter 5.2.2 --- The relationship between perceived sports competence and global self-esteem in high schools' athletes --- p.58 / Chapter 5.3 --- The relationship between school banding and general attributionsin high schools' athletes --- p.59 / Chapter 5.4 --- The relationship between perceived sports competence and general attributions in high schools' athletes --- p.63 / Chapter 5.5 --- The relationship between academic achievement and sports specific attributions in junior high schools' athletes --- p.65 / Chapter 5.6 --- Conclusion and Recommendations --- p.67 / References --- p.70 / Appendix A --- p.83 / Appendix B --- p.85 / Appendix C --- p.86 / Appendix D --- p.87 / Appendix E --- p.91 / Appendix F --- p.102 / Appendix G --- p.103 / Appendix H --- p.104 / Appendix I --- p.108