Abilities

Abilities
Arousal
Attitude
Behavior
Beliefs
Competencies
Engagement
Environment
EI
Experience (nurture)
Feelings
Intention
Motivation
Nature (genes)
Organizational Level
Performance
Performance Improvement
Performer Level
Process Level
Results
Skills
Social Pressure
Talent
Understanding
Values

Abilities are general human capacities related to the performance of tasks. They develop over time through the interaction of heredity and experience, and are long lasting (Desimone et al., 2002).

The main difference between a competency and an ability is that competencies require continuing education opportunities to maintain and they may disappear over time if not used. While abilities may also 'grow' over time, they are normally relative permanent. Abilities are "fairly stable traits, which in the adult, will not change very much unless the individual is subjected to some unusual environmental change" (Fleishman, 1962).

References

Desimone, R., Werner, J, Harris, D. (2002) Human Resource Development. Fort Worth Texas: Harcourt College Publishers, p. 655, glossary.

Fleishman, E. (1962). "The description and prediction of Perceptual-Motor Skill Learning." Training Research and Education by Glaser, R. (editor), University of Pittsburgh Press, p. 138.

Notes

Big Dog, Little Dog