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The approach to giftedness from the socio-anthropological, psychological, and neurobiological perspectives altogether allows us to understand why gifted people are occasionally misunderstood by society. In light of the fact that the particular neurofunctional characteristics of gifted children are mostly unknown, our educational and health institutions are not prepared to treat this particular social group. Gifted children are indeed habitually proactive, and they perform very efficiently based on their high intellectual coefficients to solve problems of various kinds from in areas from the social sciences to physics to mathematics. The authors of Psychobiological, Clinical, and Educational Aspects of Giftedness, edited by Ignacio Gonzalez-Burgos, invite us to reflect on the myths and needs that these minorities have regarding their academic, intellectual, and social development, and also on the imminent need for scientific research related to the different aspects of giftedness. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: cover)

Giftedness (or high intellectual ability) is a functional brain condition evident in nearly 8% of children worldwide. Despite this high prevalence and the fact that gifted young people are actually a vulnerable social group, only a few countries adopt specific educational programs to manage this condition of extreme intellectual performance, and there are considerably fewer where it is considered a priority. However, in some developed and some emerging countries high intellectual capacity is not only recognized as worthy of special attention, but it is considered to be important to enhance the development of the nation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

There are multiple reasons why high ability children may experience academic challenges. Researchers typically have focused on two possibilities—underachievement, or achieving below one's ability level, and twice-exceptionality, or possessing both high ability and one or more disabilities. In this chapter, we review the research within these domains to identify characteristics associated with both underachievement and twice-exceptionality. We specify the most common disabilities and mental health diagnoses associated with academic problems among gifted students: specific learning disabilities, ADHD, depression, and anxiety. We provide suggestions for students and their families to address these concerns to increase students' likelihood for academic advancement and success. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

In this chapter we provide a selective review of some quantitative/qualitative characteristics of the math gifted brain. The initial discussion highlights the significant bilateral engagement of both hemispheres by the math gifted when performing a variety of cognitive tasks, this in contrast to their average math ability counterparts, who rely on either their left or right hemispheres in a more unilaterally dominant fashion. The review also includes a brief overview of several studies that have employed task related Blood Oxygen Level Dependent (BOLD) and/or Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) techniques to provide converging evidence for increased activation of various brain areas and heightened white matter connectivity between regions in the math gifted brain. In addition, differences in structural characteristics (e.g., surface area, volume and cortical thickness) of the math gifted brain are briefly presented along with a discussion of how math exceptional individuals tend to rely on mental imagery ('visualize') to solve many types of problems. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

This book provides the knowledge needed to use state-of-the-art cognitive tests with individuals of all ages, from preschoolers to adults. It examines major theories and tests of intelligence and presents research-based approaches to test interpretation. The book addresses critical issues in evaluating culturally and linguistically diverse students, gifted students, and those with intellectual disability, sensory–motor impairments, traumatic brain injuries, and learning difficulties and disabilities. It highlights the use of cognitive test results in planning school-based interventions. The book is organized into six parts comprising 39 chapters. Part one presents the history of intelligence assessment and test interpretation. Part two explores contemporary theoretical perspectives including Cattell–Horn–Carroll theory of cognitive abilities; multiple-intelligences theory; the triarchic theory of successful intelligence; planning, attention, simultaneous, and successive theory of neurocognitive processes; and the parieto-frontal integration theory. It also presents a framework for adult intellectual development. Part three describes contemporary intelligence, cognitive, and neuropsychological batteries, and associated achievement tests including Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence—Fourth Edition, Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children—Fifth Edition, Wechsler Individual Achievement Test—Third Edition, Woodcock–Johnson IV Tests of Early Cognitive and Academic Development, Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children—Second Edition, Differential Ability Scales—Second Edition, Woodcock–Johnson IV: Tests of Cognitive Abilities, Tests of Oral Language, Tests of Achievement, Cognitive Assessment System—Second Edition, Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale—Fourth Edition, Wechsler Memory Scale—Fourth Edition, Wechsler Nonverbal Scale of Ability, Reynolds Intellectual Assessment Scales—Second Edition, Reynolds Intellectual Screening Test, NEPSY-II, and the Universal Nonverbal Intelligence Test—Second Edition. Part four discusses the relevance of tests of intelligence, cognitive abilities, and neuropsychological processes in understanding individual differences. Part five examines linking assessment data to intervention. Part six explores contemporary and emerging issues in intelligence, cognitive, and neuropsychological assessment. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

This chapter discusses the theoretical formulation of intelligence and the conceptual links between intelligence and giftedness from a historical perspective. It examines the evolution of multitrait theories of intelligence, the impact of advances in psychometrics on gifted assessment, and the increase in the number of theory-based cognitive measures. The chapter describes the refinement of theory of intelligence centering on the Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) model. It emphasizes the need for a better understanding of the relationships between screening procedures and the final decision outcomes based on intelligence tests. The chapter provides an extensive review of factor-analytic research, and explores the multidimensional abilities of gifted children with commonly used measures of intelligence. A major issue in identification of gifted students relates to the representation of minority students in gifted programs. Alternative approaches are provided for identifying gifted children with learning disabilities. English-language learners are underrepresented in programs that serve gifted students. The use of a single cognitive test composite score as the primary criterion for determining giftedness is highly common within schools. One of the crucial decisions made by any school system is where to set the intelligence quotient (IQ) "cutoff" score. (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)

The objective of this work is to capture and share the scientific production of Spanish-speaking psychologists, which is little known in the Anglo-Saxon world. In contrast, the theorists and researchers of English-speaking psychology are well known in Ibero-America. This book aims to help reduce to some degree this terrible, unfortunate, and chronic gap. This first volume is composed of ten chapters that were written thanks to the contribution of twenty-two authors. This book shows openness to any theory that guides the research performed by the different contributors, and the methods used and the problems addressed are very varied; it reflects, as Popper pointed out, the desire to differentiate the known from the unknown through scientific research. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: preface)

The conceptions of giftedness are diverse because they are determined by the culture that decides which skills are valued and which do not influence the identification and acceptance or rejection of individuals with exceptional skills. In explicit theories conceptions are based on scientific data and implicit theories, conceptions are formed by the beliefs of people, and one of their uses is to evaluate the behavior of others. The gifted are people who, like the others, have a period of formal education where they receive the consequences of conceptions of giftedness with positive and negative components of their peers that can favor or obstruct their academic development and emotional well-being. The objective of this study was to analyze the conceptions of giftedness of high performance university students and regular university students. The study design was descriptive, cross-sectional and qualitative. The sample was nonprobabilistic of 28 participants, 14 students of high performance and 14 regular students. A questionnaire with two open questions was applied. The results show that in the conceptions of giftedness of high performance students and regular students, superior intelligence and superior cognitive abilities and socialization problems predominate as identification factors. These two aspects are found in explicit theories and implicit theories of giftedness. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

This chapter addresses some of the most frequent misconceptions about the talent development framework. The misconceptions include: emphasizing domains of talent over general giftedness means that everyone is gifted in something; including a wider range of students may lead to talent development programs being watered down; talent development supporters do not value IQ or general ability; talent development ignores psychological needs by not focusing on the "whole child"; in a talent development framework, it is possible to 'lose' one's giftedness, whereas with the IQ model, once gifted, always gifted; a talent development framework does not serve underachievers; everyone could be gifted if they just had the right opportunities; and talent development only focuses on individuals who can become eminent. Gifted education will continue to evolve and change as new information is learned from basic and applied research studies. New conceptions of intelligence, giftedness, and talent development may emerge as a result. Revision of prevalent models based on new understandings keeps a field fresh and relevant. Talent development offers a new perspective on how to serve gifted and talented students with a greater focus on a broader range of students as well as a broader range of talents and abilities. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

This chapter briefly discusses programming options for the primary grades, intermediate grades, and upper grades. Adopting a talent development framework for gifted education services in schools requires significant shifts in perspective and practice, but these are shifts that many administrators find appealing and that communities will support. A talent development approach expands the traditional concept of a gifted education program. Gifted education programs that emphasize domains of talent instead of a notion of global giftedness are easily understood and embraced, not only by other education professionals, but also by the public, which can lead to expanded parental, legislative, and corporate support for services for gifted students. With this support from important stakeholders, parents of gifted learners and K–12 educators are able to address a wide variety of challenges that impede school districts from providing appropriate services across all grade levels on a day-to-day basis for students with gifts and talents. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

Current educational trends reflect an increased focus on developing social and emotional competencies of school children as a means of reducing underachievement and school violence and promoting positive development and wellbeing. Atypically developing children—those with a diagnosed mental health condition, intellectual exceptionality, or history of maltreatment—are at an increased risk for experiencing academic, social, and/or emotional difficulties. Further, the challenges associated with atypical development may impede the acquisition and/or application of core socioemotional skills. In this chapter, we provide an overview of the current research on emotional intelligence (EI) and social-emotional learning (SEL) with an explicit focus on students’ mental health. After briefly outlining the concepts of SEL and EI, we review relevant research with several atypical populations, including children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder, Specific Learning Disorder, intellectual giftedness and disability, history of maltreatment, or behavioral and social-emotional difficulties. Descriptions of selected SEL and mindfulness-based school programs that target socioemotional competencies of both children and teachers are presented, followed by a discussion of their utility and challenges in addressing the needs of both typical and atypical learners. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

This chapter provides a framework for conceptualizing talent development within two professional domains: medicine and software engineering. It reviews these two domains as they cover two of the most impactful science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professions in the United States. Based on the literature reviewed, it suggests that although cognitive factors and environmental supports are necessary to generate talent, psychosocial factors catalyze transitions through developmental stages within each specific domain. Talent development currently focuses on two points of interest: the cognitive, psychosocial, and environmental factors that contribute to the development of giftedness; and stages of talent development. The chapter discusses higher mastery framework which contributes to the understanding of giftedness by making the factors that aid transitions between stages and the identification of long-term giftedness more easily identifiable, and to introduce a new perspective with which to conceptualize development of giftedness within professional fields. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

This chapter addresses the question of how gifted athletes were discovered and developed their potential into exceptional performance. It focuses on talent identification and talent development in game sports. Some coaches in youth basketball, football, or soccer may feel delighted when someone joins their team who appears to be "a natural," "a once-in-a- century-talent," or a prodigy, expecting that the individual's involvement in their practice program will lead to exceptional performance within a few years. On the other hand, coaches may believe that only hard work makes champions or perhaps hard work beats talent until talent starts to work hard. The chapter first outlines central tenets of general frameworks for research into giftedness and the developmental acquisition process of expertise. It describes significant particularities of the game sports domain and provides an overview of existing empirical research evidence with reference to the generic frameworks. Finally, it discusses implications and future directions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

Mathematical talent is an intriguing human phenomenon. From the time of Poincare (1908/1952), who linked mathematical talent to mathematical creation, the relationship between mathematical talent and mathematical creativity has been at the heart of the discussion of mathematical talent. Analysis of the criteria used for empirical examination of mathematical talent shows that researchers connect mathematical talent to general giftedness, to mathematical achievement, or to mathematical creativity. This chapter discusses the developing mathematical talent in schoolchildren. It starts by discussing the components and complexities of mathematical talent and goes on to review several frameworks for its development. It briefly addresses characteristics of mathematical content and didactical principles directed at the development of mathematical talent. Finally, it briefly addresses the proficiency required for teaching the gifted and presents examples of mathematical problems and their solutions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

We all have an intuitive feel for the terms gifted, talented, high performer, expert, and eminent and often use the words interchangeably. Most have identified themselves as talent developers as well as psychologists of high performance. They have in some way engaged with programs serving children, youth, and adults who have been classified as gifted. They have been called experts themselves, and some are eminent psychologists, scientists, artists, and sporting greats. This chapter serves to frame the discussion of talent development and high performance. It begins with an overview of the talent development mega model because it provides the theoretical basis for this volume. The chapter provides brief definitions of several of the terms that reoccur in discussing high performance including potential, giftedness, talent development, high performance, expertise, and eminence. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

Wisdom always has been important in human thought and action, especially its ethical component, but it has become far more important in the context of twenty-first century globalization, which features highly complex, turbulent socioeconomic conditions and technological developments. To what extent does gifted education address wisdom? In order to keep the scope of the analysis within reason, this chapter focuses most of the attention on the ethical dimensions of wisdom, which are many and diverse. Some of the specific topics addressed by scholars who explore giftedness and talent development include the lack of fit between ethical thought and action; the importance of ethics in the development of gifted young people due to their impressive cognitive capacities; social-emotional influences on ethical behavior; and problems arising from the ways in which general education does not address the needs of the gifted. It is obvious that investigators studying giftedness have explored a wide variety of topics relevant to wisdom but there are some topics that are especially pertinent. These include some turbulent intrapersonal, psychological dynamics; programming specifically designed to strengthen wisdom; moral reasoning, global awareness, and character education; and the ethical dilemma of socioeconomic inequality. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

This rich collection reveals synergies across multiple perspectives towards a vision of wisdom today's world very much needs. This is a comprehensive review of the psychological literature on wisdom by leading experts in the field. It covers the philosophical and sociocultural foundations of wisdom and showcases the measurement and teaching of wisdom. The book explains the connection of wisdom to intelligence and personality alongside its relationship with morality and ethics. It also explores the neurobiology of wisdom, its significance in medical decision-making, and wise leadership. The book discusses how to develop wisdom and gives practical information about how to instill it in others. It is accessible to a wide readership and includes virtually all of the major theories of wisdom, as well as the full range of research on wisdom as it is understood today. It takes both a basic-science and applied focus, making it useful to those seeking to understand wisdom scientifically and to those who wish to apply their understanding of wisdom to their own work. The book might provoke new ideas and spark new research both in academia and in real-life applied contexts. And perhaps, sooner or later, this volume and others like it will inspire people, especially policy-makers, to act more wisely. Maybe, the editors and authors can contribute a few small steps to the transitions that humanity needs to make if it wants to survive. This handbook is written not only for students of wisdom and researchers in the field but also for anyone who seriously wants to understand wisdom and how it has the potential to change the world. The authors hope that, after reading this volume, one will want to contribute to those changes that make the world a better and more humane place. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

The topic of friendships has recurred across decades in the giftedness literature. This chapter briefly recounts existing sources about gifted friendships, the evidence the authors and their collaborators have collected on the issue of different numbers, types, and patterns of pillars supporting stable and quality gifted friendships, actual and preferred numbers of friends, the qualities they look for in a friend, and add new information that especially covers the transition from secondary school to university for gifted youth and parallel information for university-age gifted learners. This data potentially guides and expands some of our understanding of gifted friendships including how and why they might be structured somewhat uniquely. The chapter then examines two mostly secondary sources, topical books about giftedness or gifted children and prior major handbooks on giftedness. The relatively small number of references reflects the fact that most of the literature has focused on intellectual, cognitive, academic or general social development of gifted individuals, parenting, teaching, underachievement, and not friendships specifically. Within the sources the authors have cited, a researcher or practitioner will be readily directed to primary sources and full details of the studies. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

Who are the profoundly gifted? The answers to this apparently simple question are not so simple. Extreme giftedness has to do with deeper, faster, wider-ranging, and more intense and active mental processing that affects a child's experience of the world from birth onward. Because this experience is internal it is not necessarily observable from the outside. Because there is an extremely broad spectrum of human intelligence and a great deal of difference between children in the typical gifted range and the rare individuals who can be termed profoundly gifted (outliers among the outliers), the issue of how to identify them and their individual modes of mental processing is critical to providing them with appropriate educational challenge, depth and breadth as early in life as possible. The single most difficult hurdle to overcome in seeking to provide this rare population with a range of suitable educational strategies to meet their very individual–often idiosyncratic–needs is the negative attitude of the general public and the educational institutions the children encounter. Where there is interest and willingness, where there is acceptance and understanding, these children can thrive and soar. They have extraordinary capacities, and with a little help and understanding can exhibit powerful resilience. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)