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Most conceptions of giftedness have been based on intellectual and academic potential or aptitudes for high-level performance in a valued human endeavor. Individual characteristics have been used as markers for acknowledging advanced development at each stage of development. Moreover, these conceptions have driven our responses to advanced development in schools, in the work world, and in the larger society. As a society in general, we have chosen to ignore positive individual differences in favor of focusing on individual pathologies. Yet, some pockets of our society have always acknowledged the need for talent development through selective admission to mentorships and tutorials, advanced education, and work settings including the military, sports, and political spheres. This chapter discusses the research on conceptions of giftedness and the curriculum interventions that address a domain-specific approach at different stages of development. It explores: (1) the argument and evidence for a domain-specific conception of giftedness, (2) the identification models that prevail in practice, featuring the Stanley talent search model as the most systematic, and (3) an approach to intervention that features the Integrated Curriculum Model, a differentiated model of curriculum found effective with K-12 populations. The role of educators to foster talent development rather than let it lie dormant also receives comments. Finally, implications are drawn for an integrated tapestry of learning that may serve as a model for advanced interventions at all stages of development. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: book)

Interdisciplinary work is gaining recognition for its importance in theory development and empirical research, especially in the natural sciences. Arguably, gifted education needs interdisciplinary contributions even more than most fields because it addresses the immensely complex dynamics of the human mind. This analysis describes the nature of interdisciplinary work, including its strengths and weaknesses, and the ways in which it can enrich scholarship and practice in our field. Here are a few of many examples of productive interdisciplinary borrowing and applications to conceptions of giftedness: constructs from ethical philosophy and recent, more enlightened work in economics can magnify the importance of ethics and dissuade us from portraying selfish rational actors and accomplished ethnocentric leaders as highly gifted; warnings about sterile certainty from a prominent mathematician and the flight from reality in the human sciences from a leading political scientist can inoculate us against excessively precise, mechanistic measurements of human ability; findings from cultural anthropology can make our conceptions of giftedness less Western-centric; and discoveries in social epidemiology can show how widespread, chronic stress in severely unequal societies hides giftedness in deprived populations while severely distorting it in the privileged. Finally, this chapter concludes with recommendations for strengthening interdisciplinary work in scholarship on giftedness and talent development. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: book)

The Fuzzy Conception of Giftedness (FCG) posits that most conceptions and practices concerning giftedness (e.g., propositions and identification practices) are vague. The Fuzzy Conception of Giftedness itself is vague as well. The two editions of the landmark book Conceptions of Giftedness (Sternberg & Davidson, Conceptions of giftedness (Advance uncorrected proofs). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 1986; Conceptions of giftedness (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 2005) cover over 20 different conceptions of giftedness. Each conception has its own unique vagueness. In this chapter, first, I discuss the vagueness of the concept “giftedness,” with an emphasis on problems related to vagueness in conceptions of giftedness. Then, I propose the Fuzzy Conception of Giftedness and suggest identification and education practices based on this conception. The FCG is composed of personal dispositions, stimulus conditions, and stimulus conditions. The manifestation of giftedness is situated in the interaction. Therefore, the identification of and education for gifted students are strictly based on interactional models. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: book)

This chapter examines the evolution of the concept of talents and gifts in Russia and its current “incarnation” in federal and regional versions. This discussion will cover a range of definitions and a range of programs that have been put into practice, but never formally evaluated, throughout the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Special attention will be given to the description and evaluation of the two currently dominant federal year-around residency programs for gifted and talented children, Artek and Sirius. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: book)

This chapter reviews the previous chapters in the book and identifies points of agreement and disagreement among authors. The greatest point of agreement is that those wishing to identify and develop giftedness in young people need to go beyond IQ in their conception of what it means to be gifted. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: book)

An ongoing and unjust issue in the United States is the underrepresentation of Black and Hispanic students in gifted and talented education. In this chapter, we discuss barriers to recruiting and retaining these students, with a concerted focus on deficit thinking among teachers and other educators. Several theories and models are shared that are grounded in equity and cultural responsiveness in order to address human-made barriers head on and to support educators. We share our sense of urgency in helping educators be introspective, along with equity-minded and culturally responsive. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: book)

In this chapter, we highlight creativity’s role in giftedness. We first highlight the three Ds present in how creativity can apply to giftedness: its developmental trajectory, issues of domain specificity, and array of diverse perspectives. We highlight some theories of creativity that are particularly relevant for the field of giftedness, and then we discuss some specific concepts that we believe will guide us forward to help creativity play a more important role in giftedness. A core principle is that of creativity for all. This concept includes multiculturalism (considering non-Western perspectives), embracing the contributions of many mini-c creators as opposed to a single great Big-C creator, the potential of new technologies to help identify and promote creativity, and the ways in which creativity can help identify underrepresented gifted children. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: book)

Although my own research has focused on genius, according to standard dictionary definitions, genius has considerable conceptual overlap with both giftedness and talent. Thus, the goal of this chapter is to disentangle any conceptual confusions among the three concepts. I begin with giftedness, endorsing unmodified the definition put forward by the National Association for Gifted Children. That endorsement allows me to introduce a distinctive definition for talent. Given those two definitions, I turn to genius, offering yet another conception that renders that construct distinct from either giftedness or talent. From there I advance to the practical implications by addressing the following questions about each of the three concepts: Is high IQ required? What’s the relative role of nature and nurture? Where is it placed in the life span? How is it identified? And can it be enhanced through interventions? (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: book)

Giftedness as a construct is increasingly found relevant in all of life’s endeavors. It is a construct with a long history in schools. As institutions tasked with the academic preparation of young people, schools must consider the practical application of any conception adopted. The constraints of schools and their institutional purpose determine what giftedness is in that setting. The optimal conception of giftedness within these boundaries provides for the development of exceptional abilities, while supporting the psychological well-being of students. It requires a commitment from schools to provide resources, supports, and opportunities that foster the development of students’ talents, with an eye toward their success beyond the K-12 experience. Students must also commit to their own talent development, bringing their abilities, interests, and the psychosocial skills required to bear in their approach to the school-provided opportunities. This chapter addresses the roles and responsibilities of stakeholders in a practical, school-based conception of giftedness. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: book)

In this chapter, the authors present a comprehensive conception of talent development that draws from research in the psychological sciences and is applicable across diverse domains, from academics and athletics to the visual and performing arts. The model is distinguished by the following components: (a) recognizing the varied beginnings of domain trajectories from the earliest manifestations of talent to expertise and beyond; (b) promoting the role of opportunities not only inside, but outside, and beyond school; and (c) the increasing importance of malleable social and mental skills as well as insider knowledge as individuals progress to higher stages of performance and creative productivity. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: book)

This chapter describes a qualitative, comparative case research study conducted with 15 eminent women who have contributed important and creative work across multiple disciplines. These scholars, scientists, artists, innovators, historians, and psychologists range in age from their mid-40s to their mid-60s. Each is regarded as being in the top-tier of creative work in her discipline and has received multiple awards, honors, and accolades. Their paths to eminence demonstrate that their creative productive giftedness results from a combination of their abilities, interests, motivation, and focus, as well as their determination to excel in their creative work, and make a positive difference. Over time, all of these eminent women gained knowledge about their abilities as well as self-confidence, leading to enhanced self-perceptions as they developed their creativity, abilities, interests, and forged ahead with future plans. Their personality characteristics enhanced their creativity productivity, with demonstrated determination, motivation, creativity, leadership, love of their discipline, and decisions to take and thrive on risks. Their creative drive developed as a result of their passion for their work, and their motivation to make positive change and improve their disciplines. Each of the women studied acknowledged her high levels of creative productivity and giftedness, and each could explain her drive and creative processes. This study contributes and enhances earlier work by the author on talented and eminent women, finding that they have a great passion for their work and their diverse and meaningful personal lives, as they purposely shape their extraordinary journeys to creative work and eminence. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: book)

The development of Kronborg’s Model of Talent Development for Eminent Women was underpinned by the Model of Adult Female Talent Development. Additionally, the purpose of the feminist research which underpinned Kronborg’s Model was to explore the lives of ten eminent women in seven talent domains in order to gain knowledge and understanding from the women’s reflections, as to what contributed to their talent development across the lifespan. Various psychological and sociological themes were identified in the Model which influenced the talent development of these gifted females leading to their eminence in diverse talent domains. Based on theories and models of talent development, including Kronborg’s Model, strategies for identifying and teaching gifted students for talent development are presented. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: book)

The interactions between living in the urban context and being bilingual are factors that have inhibited recognizing students’ potential and abilities to be identified as gifted. Changing beliefs and adopting practices that enable urban bilingual students to have the opportunity to access and experience differentiated curriculum and challenging language development strategies can be defined as a process for urban bilingual students to overtly express the traits that can identify them as gifted learners. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: book)

In this chapter, I argue that conceptions of giftedness are problematic in that they derive from what Dai and Chen have identified as “the gifted-child paradigm,” which has dominated the thinking of scholars and practitioners in gifted education since the field’s advent. However, I believe that the gifted-child paradigm encompasses beliefs that are untenable and that have rendered the field nugatory. The central tenet of the gifted-child paradigm is the seemingly unexceptionable belief that there is a distinct subgroup in our school-age population known as gifted students. I argue that this foundational belief is belied by, among other things, the fact that, about a century on, there is no consensus as to what a gifted student is, as the table of contents of this volume reveals. Instead, I believe that giftedness is a social construction unanchored to a body of empirical data and unhelpful in developing defensible curriculum and instruction for capable students. I suggest that our field’s focus should not be existential (“Is this student gifted?”) but should rather be educational (“What form (s) of instruction are appropriate for this student at this time?”). (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: book)

Due in large part to technological advances, society has changed in unprecedented ways and at a breakneck pace. Yet conceptions of giftedness and models for gifted education have not kept pace with these changes. One conceptual change widely applied to other fields is the use of sociocultural theories, which are rarely applied to the study of and education for giftedness and talent development. Such perspectives emphasize the interrelated nature of the individual and their social and cultural contexts. A sociocultural approach to giftedness focuses less on the individual student and more on the ways in which that student is supported by and interacts with their immediate social context. The emphasis in a sociocultural approach to talent development is primarily on the need to provide enriched contexts for students as they interact with each other and cultural tools, resulting in the emergence of talent. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: book)

For curricula to stay relevant in the coming years, the gifted must actively prepare themselves for the future. This chapter proposes a multidimensional developmental conception of giftedness based on talent development synthesizing models offered by prominent scholars. It proposes a novel way of teaching in Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) programs in schools or ability grouping in heterogeneous classes. It links theory to practice and adds an innovative component defined as future thinking literacy. It illustrates how the Multidimensional Curriculum Model (MdCM) could be applied in elementary, middle, and high school in stages, to develop future thinking literacy, from interdisciplinary through multidisciplinary to the transdisciplinary level of an innovative school subject named “Future Studies.” (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: book)

The aim of this chapter is to provide a different perspective on talent development, based on the ethnic-linguistic diversity of the understudied Andean countries. The current status of gifted education and talent development in the population living under highly vulnerable conditions of Andean society will be explored, under the frame of a comprehensive analysis about the needs of the gifted children in Latin America. Multicultural diversity in the Andean societies may easily lead to polarization due to the poverty conditions in which the majority lives. In order to make a significant contribution, a developmental, cross-cultural, inclusive approach is critical to conceptualize gifted education, and to explain talent development in this part of the world. Studies about the identification and differentiation programs for the gifted are analyzed, and the status of young scholars coming from low socio-economic and ethnic minority groups will be discussed. Results of on-going studies about variables related to gifted performance will be included. Plus, the challenges of gifted education in Latin America that underline the advocacy efforts to serve the indigenous population with equity will be presented. Implications for future research and public policies to serve the gifted students are also considered. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: book)

In this chapter Finnish conceptions of giftedness and talent are presented. The Finnish conceptions are explored in the context of an educational system in which a strongly rooted egalitarian ethos and individualistic values are concurrently present. The teachers’ and students’ conceptions related to giftedness and intelligence and conceptions in the national core curriculum for basic education are discussed in the frameworks of domain-specific and developmental theories of giftedness. The implications of Finnish conceptions of giftedness and talent for teaching and learning in school are discussed. Differentiated teaching is advocated as a promising approach for educating gifted students in a Finnish context. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: book)

One of the ongoing challenges for gifted and talented education is that the measures used to select students for advanced educational opportunities rarely identify those most likely to make creative contributions later in life. The smartest students are rarely the most inventive. Conversely, extremely creative people are often overlooked as average or without obvious potential during their educational years. A need exists to understand what factors mediate the relationship of talent to creative potential so that better ways of fostering creative talent early can be devised. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: book)

We argue for a wide range of innate differences in ability in any domain, and that children with high levels of ability in a particular domain share three characteristics: they learn rapidly (precocity), they are intensely driven to learn (a rage to master), and they learn differently from typical children (they march to their own drummer). In the visual arts, high levels of ability have been most often noted in the ability to draw realistically. We show that this ability is independent of IQ and present some evidence that this ability is related to local processing skill. We also note one case study of a child who showed all three characteristics of giftedness but whose drawings were abstract rather than realistic. Thus it is possible that there are two routes that gifted child artists follow―one the early representational/realism route and the other the early abstraction route. We conclude the chapter by discussing our recommendations for how artistically gifted children should be taught and present the Reggio Emila approach in Italy as an excellent approach to the education of both typical and gifted children. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: book)