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Examines 2 assumptions that underlie both gifted education and the advocacy approaches of those in the field. These assumptions are that (1) gifted children represent an empirically identifiable population and (2) the needs of that population are significantly different from those of children in general. The exclusivity of the definition of giftedness influences the exclusivity of recommended policies and practices, contributing to the appeal of gifted education, and leading to charges of elitism. Restricting giftedness to a small percentage of the population (3–5%) leads to certain other assumptions. An alternative conceptualization of giftedness suggests that gifted education programs be available to all children. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)

Describes profiles of 3 female graduate students with different kinds of intellectual giftedness and argues that conventional intelligence tests provide, at best, a modest assessment of only 1 kind of giftedness. The triarchic theory of intelligence is described. According to this theory, intelligence must be understood in terms of the internal and external worlds of the individual and the interface between these 2 worlds as it unfolds through experience. The theory is explained through the Ss' profiles, and measures based on this theory that better assess all 3 kinds of giftedness are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

Discusses several common definitions of the terms giftedness and talent, with particular emphasis on the models proposed by J. S. Renzulli (1979) and S. J. Cohn (1981). The critique of these 2 models leads to a clear differentiation between giftedness and talent: the former is associated with domains of abilities that foster and explain exceptional performance in varied fields of activities, that is, talents. Thus, an individual can be gifted without necessarily being talented (as in the case of underachievers), but not vice versa. Several factors that can act as catalysts for the actualization of giftedness in specific talents are discussed, particularly motivation and environmental quality. (36 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

Discusses developing social competence in gifted preschoolers in terms of definitions of giftedness, intellectual giftedness and social cognition, intellectual giftedness and social adjustment, and helping gifted youngsters improve social competence. Also discussed are the effects of uneven development and inappropriate educational environments and informal approaches to teaching social skills. It is suggested that social skills development is an important component of a young child's educational program. Gifted preschool children may require special guidance to help them understand and cope with their unusual abilities. A sensitive understanding of gifted preschool children's social and emotional development can provide the foundation for fostering the development of social competence both informally, through classroom interactions, and formally, through structured group lessons. (18 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

Discusses 2 issues that have hindered the past development of gifted education—the use of IQ tests as the sole criterion for determining giftedness and criticisms of the tracking system. Current problems are noted with respect to the liberalization of the criteria and the trivialization of the concept of giftedness. It is suggested that the future of gifted education will depend on a new conceptualization of giftedness, derived from developmental psychology, that will attend to affective as well as cognitive factors. (21 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

Proposes a subtheory of intellectual giftedness according to which giftedness is understood in terms of 3 types of insight skills: (a) selective encoding, by which relevant information in a given context is sifted from irrelevant information; (b) selective combination, by which relevant information is combined in a novel and productive way; and (c) selective comparison, by which new information is related in a novel way to old information. This conceptualization is compared with traditional views of giftedness and insight in terms of theory and implications for assessment. It is shown how the theory could be tested. Some preliminary data are presented on the relation between insight skills and IQ and measures of inductive and deductive reasoning. (11 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

Relates the concept of giftedness and the procedures for identifying the gifted to cognitive-developmental (CD) theory, as represented by Piaget's (1952, 1972) theory of intelligence. The authors define giftedness as academic or intellectual talent that does not include characteristics such as creativity or artistic abilities. The CD approach is characterized by the following assumptions: (1) Cognitive development occurs in a stagelike, sequential fashion; (2) each stage is qualitatively different from one another, but later stages are derivatives of earlier stages; (3) each stage is characterized by the presence of a unique set of cognitive structures that determine the level and form of cognitive functioning; (4) cognitive growth is largely the result of active involvement with the world; and (5) movement from one stage to another is marked by transition points. The concept of giftedness most consistent with CD theory is one that views giftedness as extremely high aptitude within a specific content area. A CD approach can make distinctions between gifted and normal children at the end of the concrete operational level, probably between 8–20 yrs of age. CD theory clarifies identification and definitional issues, highlights problem areas, and directs future research and practical innovations in the field. (26 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

Presents a reanalysis of E. A. Hany's (1987) data on teachers' ratings of 6,815 male and female West German 9th graders on 5 dimensions of giftedness: cognitive giftedness, creative giftedness, social competence, psychomotor giftedness, and musical giftedness. Results confirm that G. A. Lienert's configural frequency analysis (1973) can be used successfully in the identification and differentiation of gifted students. (English abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

Evaluated 184 15–17 yr old gifted adolescents' views of their own giftedness and their perceptions regarding how giftedness is viewed by others. Results indicate that their views of giftedness were not unidimensional. Ss were positive about their giftedness but did not believe that others were positive. Also, Ss viewed giftedness as positive with regard to their personal growth and academic performance but as negative in social relations with others. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

Discusses childhood intellectual giftedness from a developmental perspective. Topics include (1) clarification of the concepts of intelligence, giftedness, and talent; (2) various theoretical models of giftedness; (3) cognitive, motivational, affective, and social characteristics of intellectually gifted children; (4) the synchronicity of cognitive-intellectual and social-emotional development in gifted children; and (5) the role of families and schools in promoting or inhibiting the development of giftedness in children. (English abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

Discusses central topics and issues in the diagnosis of giftedness, including: (1) the questionable distinction between intelligence and creativity in formulating definitions of giftedness, (2) the various functions of giftedness diagnosis, (3) methodological problems, and (4) research needs. Recommendations for the practice of giftedness assessment are provided. (English abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

Conducted structured interviews to determine perceptions of 60 gifted students (aged 12–18 yrs) concerning their own and others' attitudes toward giftedness and to examine Ss' awareness of the existence and content of stereotypes and labels toward giftedness, coping mechanisms used by Ss, and whether giftedness is perceived as valued or devalued by Ss based on interaction with peers, teachers, and parents. Positive value of giftedness reflected by parents and teachers and negative value of giftedness reflected by peers emphasized the situational context of deviance and created a social chameleon effect whereby Ss displayed this attribute in interactions where valued and masked it where devalued. Giftedness was valued for self. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

Investigated which of 13 giftedness identification measures discriminated between gifted and nongifted 2nd and 3rd graders, and whether these measures discriminated against gifted students in groups such as the economically disadvantaged and/or ethnic minorities. Ss consisted of (1) 45 students from gifted classes, (2) 42 Ss from regular classrooms who received special gifted services, and (3) 31 randomly selected Ss who served as controls. Ss in the 2nd group were also examined in terms of economic disadvantage and ethnic origin (24 were White, and 8 were Black or minority Ss). A battery of measures were administered, including the Iowa Test of Basic Skills—Elementary Battery, Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale, and the Cognitive Abilities Test. Measures of scholastic aptitude, giftedness potential assessment (learning and creativity), student peer identification, and locus of control were sensitive discriminators of giftedness. Giftedness potential assessment for creativity and learning, basic skills in mathematics, and locus of control discriminated least among economically disadvantaged and/or minority Ss. Measures of teacher judgmental, student self, and parent perceptual identification appeared to be insensitive discriminators of giftedness and seemed to be somewhat biased toward economically disadvantaged and/or minority students. (12 ref) (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)

Discusses certain affective traits (persistence, independence, and self-concept) and their contribution to the realization of giftedness. The issue of labeling children as gifted is addressed, and the current practice of using children's preferences as a guide to the development of both the cognitive and affective aspects of giftedness is discussed. Data are reviewed that suggest that for adults, persistence appears to be an important feature for realizing giftedness. For children, internal control and field independence are abilities that are favored in educational settings, and there seems to be an interaction among self-concept, giftedness, and achievement. It is suggested that giftedness is not an objectively observable condition but primarily a socially defined phenomenon. It is concluded that there are several valid arguments against using children's preferences and learning styles as the basis for designing educational environments. In the short run, it may be to the advantage of students that educators adapt the educational environment to their preference, but the possibility exists that this will lead to an abdication of adult responsibility. (56 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)