Su búsqueda

In the early 1970s when I began work on the Three-Ring Conception of Giftedness, I embedded the rings in a houndstooth background that represented the interaction between personality and environment. In recent years, further research and theory development coupled with a growing concern in the field related to social and emotional development has led to a new dimension of my work on characteristics that calls attention to a series of six co-cognitive factors that are discussed in this chapter. A comprehensive review of the literature and a series of Delphi technique studies led to the development of an organizational plan for studying these six components and 13 subcomponents. Factor analysis identified these clusters of discrete but interrelated traits. I refer to these as co-cognitive factors because they interact with and enhance the cognitive traits that we ordinarily associate with the development of both high achievement and creative productive manifestations of giftedness. This new initiative was prompted by a longstanding concern about the role that gifted education should play in preparing persons with high potential for ethical and responsible leadership in all walks of life. Investments in this type of social capital benefit society as a whole because they help to create the values, norms, networks, and social trust that facilitate coordination and cooperation geared toward the greater public good. Striking evidence indicates a marked decline in American social capital over the latter half of the century just ending. National surveys show declines over the last few decades in voter turnout and political participation, membership in service clubs, church-related groups, parent teacher associations, unions, and fraternal groups. These declines in civic and social participation have been paralleled by an increasing tendency for young people to focus on materialism, self-intelligence, narrow professional success, and individual economic gain. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

This chapter provides a summation of four subtheories developed over approximately five decades. Although my early work on Subtheory I (the Three-Ring Conception of Giftedness) and Subtheory II (the Enrichment Triad Model) gained more attention than I ever expected, I began to feel that there were still characteristics and programming opportunities that needed to be added to the overall search for factors that contribute to total talent development. This concern, coupled with my own belief that programs for our most able young people should: (1) promote a sense of social justice and the use of one's gifts to make positive contributions to society, and (2) provide experiences in the development of strategies for acquiring self-regulation skills, using time and resources wisely, taking action, and managing change. And, of course, I wanted to come up with ideas that interacted with rather than replaced Three-Ring and Triad. The result was several years of research and development that led to Subtheories III and IV that are discussed in this chapter. I refer to the traits discussed in Subtheories III and IV as co-cognitive factors because they interact with and enhance the cognitive traits that are ordinarily associated with the development of human abilities. A number of researchers have suggested that constructs of this type, including social, emotional, and interpersonal intelligence, are related to each other and are at least partially independent from traditional academic measures of human abilities. I invite readers to draw their own conclusions about whether or not these four interactive subtheories promote what I describe as a fully functioning self-actualized individual. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

This reprinted article originally appeared in Gifted Child Quarterly, 1982, Vol 26(2), 88-94. The following abstract of the original article appeared in (see record 1984-27624-001). Argues that intelligence seems to consist in large part of the ability to deal with nonentrenched tasks and concepts, but this ability seems only to be peripherally measured by current tests of intelligence. This view brings the concept of intelligence closer to that of creativity, as usually conceived, but still maintains the distinction between convergent and divergent thinking that has traditionally characterized the difference between what is measured in intelligence tests and what is measured in creativity tests. Examples of nonentrenchment in the assessment of intellectual giftedness are provided. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: create)

This reprinted article originally appeared in Gifted Education Quarterly, 1984, Vol 28(4), 157-161. The following abstract of the original article appeared in (see record 1985-23827-001). Argues for the replacement of the current identification/placement paradigm, which is used to assess giftedness and talent in children, with one that focuses more on assessment and education. The separate identification step should be replaced by curriculum-imbedded and curriculum-determinitive processes. Suggestions for increasing the contributions of school psychologists in the assessment phase are outlined, along with the need to develop more individualized adaptive education programs for gifted students. Implications for school district policy are also noted. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: create)

The Three-Ring Conception of Giftedness focuses on creative/innovative productivity, which differs from schoolhouse or lesson-learning giftedness. Giftedness that leads to innovation emerges from the interaction and overlap of three clusters of traits--well above average ability in a particular domain, task commitment, and creativity--and occurs in certain individuals, at certain times, under certain conditions. A broader conception of giftedness will allow researchers, theorists, and educators to more fully address, answer, and respond to the most pressing questions about where innovation 'comes from'. Simultaneously, this model, when applied, will assist in the development of individuals most capable of engaging in innovation and improving the quality of life for society. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

The study of gifts and talents and how various innate abilities interact with one’s environment, personality, educational opportunities, family support, and life experiences has fascinated psychologists, educators, and parents for decades. Many are intrigued with the reasons that one child with remarkably high potential born into a particular family in a particular environment grows up to become a neurosurgeon while a child of similar intellectual potential who lives in the same community and attends the same schools decides to drop out of high school. What have researchers and scholars learned in the past few decades about the nature of talent development and intellectual giftedness? What general concepts are widely accepted about intellectual giftedness? How is it defined and how can it be developed? What combinations of genetic abilities and talents interact with one’s personality and environment to produce intellectual giftedness? In this chapter, these questions, none of which can be answered simply, are discussed and current research about intellectual giftedness is summarized. As the research reviewed in this chapter points out, core concepts about giftedness relate to the diversity of expression of gifts and talents, as there are no more varied groups of people than those labeled intellectually gifted. Those labeled gifted as children and/or adults are found in every ethnic and socioeconomic group and culture. They exhibit an unlimited range of personal and learning characteristics and differ in effort, temperament, educational and vocational attainment, productivity, creativity, risk taking, introversion, and extraversion. We begin our review of research related to intellectual giftedness with a discussion of these themes, summarizing highlights about research on intellectual giftedness in the United States, including some work that is considered seminal, and presenting an overview of what we believe to be some interesting and potentially important theories to date. We conclude the chapter with some interesting new research-based trends related to emerging ideas in defining and developing academic gifts and talents. It is important to understand, however, that scholars and researchers continue to debate definitions of giftedness, how intellectual giftedness develops, and the characteristics of diverse groups of high-potential youth that will help educators and psychologists to identify and nurture intellectual gifts and talents. To illustrate the challenges associated with both defining and identifying giftedness in students, four brief case studies are introduced. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

Thinking and writing about creativity immediately causes us to reflect upon our own experiences and wonder whether or not we think of ourselves as being creative people. This chapter describes an approach to developing creative activities and creativity in children, particularly, ways of influencing teacher behaviors to identify, promote, and develop creative teaching and the strategies for infusing creativity in educational experiences. The chapter provides a brief description on new directions in creativity program (NDC); the three-ring conception of giftedness; the schoolwide enrichment model; and the challenge of change in the real world of schools. The NDC includes five volumes: Mark A, Mark B, Mark I, Mark 2, and Mark 3. The NDC program is designed to help teachers develop the creative thinking abilities of primary and middle grade youngsters, and the premise of NDC is that almost all children have the potential to think creatively and that creative production can be improved by providing systematic learning experiences that foster the use of imagination. The general purpose of NDC can best be explained by contrasting the creative or divergent production abilities with the convergent production abilities emphasized in most elementary school classrooms. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

In an applied field such as education we have always maintained that a theory doesn't have much value (beyond generating research proposals) unless it can ultimately guide practice, and hopefully policy. We also maintain that there is no such thing as a "perfect" identification system and any system is always a series of compromises that must take into account state rules and regulations, political realities (e.g., parent pressures, under representation of low-income and minority groups), practical issues (e.g., time and costs of testing), and of course the conception(s) of giftedness and the programming models) that guide the services for which students are being identified. In this chapter, we first discuss a number of considerations that must be taken into account when designing an identification system for a school, district, or even a state. The step-by-step system that is described here is an attempt to address as many of these considerations as possible, but we must also state up front that the system presented in this chapter is based on the Three-Ring Conception of Giftedness. Further, it is designed for programs that focus mainly on creative productive giftedness as delineated in the Enrichment Triad Model. The system does, of course, provide a major pathway for the highest achieving students but it also "opens the door" for participation by students who show potential for high performance through one or more nontest criteria that may not be adequately assessed by cognitive ability or achievement tests. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

In the sections that follow, I summarize the two major theories underlying my work: the three-ring conception of giftedness and the enrichment triad model. Also interrelated with this phase is a subtheory that defines a procedure for regular curriculum modification called curriculum compacting. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

In this chapter, the author provides a description of the major theoretical issues underlying various conceptions of giftedness, an overview of the three-ring conception of giftedness, some of the research that led to the initial development of the theory, and a brief description of research carried out in places that have used this model. Also included are a new dimension of the overall theory that deals with co-cognitive characteristics and a brief description of a plan for identifying students for special programs and services based on this conception of giftedness. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: create)

This reprinted article originally appeared in Gifted Child Quarterly, Vol 34(1), 21-26. The following abstract of the original article appeared in (see record 1990-21181-001). Compared performance on tests of specific abilities commonly associated with intelligence for 112 13-yr-olds who were extremely mathematically gifted (MG) or verbally gifted (VG). VG Ss scored higher on verbal and general knowledge tests, and MG Ss scored higher on tests of nonverbal reasoning, spatial ability, and memory. Findings suggest that speed might also be an important component of extreme giftedness. Results (1) have implications for the selection of MG and VG Ss for special programs and (2) support the use of the Progressive Matrices for identification of MGs in particular. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: create)

Our purpose is to analyze critically the development, characteristics, strengths, and weaknesses of the psychometric approaches to the study of human creativity in order to inform future research efforts using this and other approaches. First, an overview of the psychometric approach's historical development and main characteristics is presented. Second, comparisons are made to other approaches to the study of creativity. Third, major areas of psychometric work are examined in detail. Fourth, an area of study upon which the psychometric approach often focuses—the relationship between creativity and other cognitive constructs such as intelligence and giftedness—is analyzed. Fifth, criticisms of the psychometric approach are considered. Finally, the implications of past psychometric work for future creativity study, both psychometrically and through other methodologies, are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

This chapter focuses on creative-productive giftedness and proposes that young people showing creative potential and an investigative mindset should also have access to special opportunities, resources, and encouragement. It also describes the evolution of the Three Ring Conception of Giftedness, with its three interacting clusters of traits: above average (not necessarily superior) ability, task commitment, and creativity. Various considerations that have guided the development of the Three Ring Conception of Giftedness include the differences between two kinds of assessment. The first, assessments of learning, focuses on what students already know based on cognitive and achievement test scores. This approach to the development of giftedness and talents in all areas of human productivity takes into consideration factors related to another type of student data called assessment for learning. Factors include sensitivity to traits such as curiosity, interests, preferred instructional styles and expression styles, enjoyment of learning, collaboration, communication, cooperation, planning, and self-regulation. Recurring questions about the Three Ring Conception of Giftedness are discussed, as is the overall goal of both this definition and the recommended programming approach called the Schoolwide Enrichment Model. That goal is to increase the world’s reservoir of creative and productive young people who will contribute to the scientific, economic, social, and cultural development of mankind and to preserve the earth’s resources for future generations. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: book)

Discusses the development of creativity in children through the Enrichment Triad Model (J. S. Renzulli, 1976), which was originally developed to provide children with the opportunity to develop their above-average abilities, creativity, and task commitment as was based on a central premise: If we give children the opportunities to become involved in self-selected, creative, productive work in school, this will increase the likelihood that the will emerge as creatively productive adults in whatever area they select as their future work. Two kinds of giftedness are examined: Schoolhouse giftedness and creative-productive giftedness. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

The study of gifts and talents and how innate abilities interact with one's environment, personality, educational opportunities, family support, and life experiences has fascinated psychologists, educators, and parents for decades. Why is it that one child with remarkably high potential born into a particular family in a particular environment grows up to become a neurosurgeon while a child of similar intellectual potential who lives in the same community and attends the same schools, decides to drop out of high school? What have researchers and scholars learned in the last few decades about the nature of talent development and intellectual giftedness? In this chapter, these questions, none of which can be answered simply, are discussed and current research about intellectual giftedness is summarized. As the research points out, one of the core concepts that has emerged about intellectual giftedness in the last few decades relates to its diversity, for there is no more varied group of people than those labeled intellectually gifted. Despite this broad diversity, however, several common themes about intellectual giftedness and the conditions for its development exist. We begin our review of the research related to intellectual giftedness with a discussion of these themes, summarizing highlights about research on intellectual giftedness in the United States, including the seminal work of Lewis Terman, and presenting an overview of what we believe to be some interesting and potentially important American theories to date. We conclude the chapter with some interesting research-based trends related to new ideas in defining and developing academic gifts and talents. It is important to understand, however, that there is no agreed-upon consensus about who is gifted and no final answers about our evolving understandings of how intellectual giftedness develops and the characteristics that help us to identify and nurture intellectual gifts and talents. To introduce the challenge associated with both defining and identifying giftedness in students, four brief case studies are introduced in the first section of the chapter. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

An overview of definitions of giftedness, special populations of gifted and talented children, methods of identification, and a continuum of services are summarized in this chapter. These services include organizational strategies (such as instructional grouping options), instructional strategies (such as acceleration and enrichment options), and a variety of talent development opportunities that should be included in a continuum of services that will engage and challenge all gifted and talented students. Also included in this chapter are some social and emotional challenges that may affect gifted and high potential children, such as the potential underachievement of children who do not encounter sufficient challenge in school. The chapter ends with a summary of research about the effectiveness of grouping, instructional, and talent development strategies, as well as recommendations for the creation of a continuum of services in each school district that will challenge and engage all students. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

This reprinted article originally appeared in Gifted Child Quarterly, Vol 28(4), 149-151. The following abstract of the original article appeared in (see record 1985-23834-001). Discusses problems in the identification of gifted and talented children that can occur at any point in the identification process. The 5 major steps involved in such a process are outlined: defining program goals and types of youth to be served, nomination procedures, assessment procedures, individual differentiation, and validation of the identification process. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: create)

As conceptions of giftedness expanded, researchers provided support for views of giftedness that went beyond high cognitive potential, and more persons became interested in affective issues, moral and ethical development, and what we will describe as intelligences outside the normal curve. A better understanding of people who use their gifts in socially constructive ways can help us create conditions that expand the number of people who contribute to the growth of social as well as economic capital. In the sections that follow, we examine the scientific research that defines several categories of personal characteristics that have been associated with such commitments and form the basis for Operation Houndstooth Theory: Optimism, Courage, Romance With a Topic or Discipline, Sensitivity to Human Concerns, Physical/Mental Energy, and Vision/Sense of Destiny. We will refer to these traits as co-cognitive factors because they interact with and enhance the cognitive traits that we ordinarily associate with the development of human abilities. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

The question "What makes giftedness?" has been debated for decades, with renewed interest over the past 20 years as new theories of intelligence emerged, questions of equity were raised, and resources in schools declined. To shed light on this complex and controversial question, we will draw heavily on the theoretical and research literature associated with the study of gifted and talented persons, but our approach also reflects the point of view of educational practitioners who have devoted significant time and effort to translating research and theory into defensible identification and programming practices. In this chapter, an explanation of key features to be included in a definition of giftedness is followed by a review of the types of giftedness typically identified by school personnel and a summary of purposes for educating gifted students. Subsequent discussion of the developmental nature of giftedness and a rationale for viewing giftedness as a displayed behavior rather than a possessed trait lead to an explicit definition—the Three-Ring Conception of Giftedness. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

When it comes to theories for educating gifted and talented students two additional and related caveats must be taken into account. The first caveat is that there should be a logical relationship between the theory-guided services provided to students and the conception of giftedness that serves as a rationale for the development of that theory. An acceleration-based theory that recommends the use of advanced mathematics courses, for example, should obviously be related to a conception of gifted that targets students with high aptitudes in math. The second caveat is derivative of the first and pertains to the enrichment-based theory presented in this chapter. This theory argues that services should be provided for both advanced cognitive development and what are referred to below to as "intelligences outside the normal curve." A rationale for this conception of giftedness is provided in the various subsections that follow. This chapter is an overview of a theory that has been developed over the past 3 decades to guide the implementation of school programs designed to develop giftedness and talents in young people. The overall theory is composed of four interrelated subtheories and is based on the belief that when one is reexamining the role of theory in gifted education we should always begin the why question—why should a society devote special resources to the development of giftedness in young people? (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)