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Conceptual models of giftedness that cannot explain the full spectrum of depicted behaviors are incomplete. The same is true for frameworks that purport to analyze those behaviors. Within giftedness, extraordinary and rare talents afford us the opportunity to extend and modify models and frameworks. This article presents an analysis of the first 2 years of writing of a precocious child whose prolific language, complex sentence structures, and sophisticated conceptual development belie his age. Attempts to conduct comparative analyses found that existing frameworks could not explain the data's holistic and thematic tones. This led to the construction of a new synthetic-analytic framework for precocious writing that more fully depicts the known spectrum of writing elements exhibited by highly gifted children. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)

A serious critique often made against giftedness research is an alleged neglect of the aspects of developmental psychology. We are therefore more than pleased that Marion Porath has agreed to assemble a series of papers on this topic and serve as Guest Editor for this edition of High Ability Studies. This edition is made complete by a fascinating case study submitted by Larisa V. Shavinina which she developed on the basis of the concept of entrepreneurial giftedness, and therewith fills a gap in our field of research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

The Fullerton Longitudinal Study is a contemporary prospective investigation that spans approximately a quarter of a century. Commencing at age 1, children and their families were systematically followed every 6 months from infancy through preschool and annually at ages 5 through 17. They were again assessed at age 24. The course of development for intellectually and motivationally gifted children was studied across a breadth of developmental domains including academic, cognitive, self-perceptions, temperament, behavioral, social, family/environmental processes, and adult educational achievement. Presented are the methodology and unique aspects of this research that contribute to the study of giftedness. Major findings regarding these two distinct dimensions of giftedness are presented, with some implications for practice and directions for future research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)

Traditional conceptions of giftedness assume that only talented individuals possess the necessary gifts required to reach the highest levels of performance. This article describes an alternative view that expert performance results from acquired cognitive and physiological adaptations due to extended deliberate practice. A review of evidence, such as historical increases in performance, the requirement of years of daily deliberate practice, and structural changes in the mediating mechanisms, questions the existence of individual differences that impose innate limits on performance attainable with deliberate practice. The proposed framework describes how the processes mediating normal development of ability and everyday skill acquisition differ from the extended acquisition of reproducibly superior (expert) performance and how perceived "giftedness" gives children access to superior training resources, resulting in developmental advantages. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)

The Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent (DMGT) presents the talent development process (P) as the transformation of outstanding natural abilities, or gifts (G), into outstanding systematically developed skills which define expertise, or talent (T) 3 in a particular occupational field. This developmental sequence constitutes the heart of the DMGT. Three types of catalysts help or hinder that process: (a) interpersonal (I) catalysts, like personal traits and self-management processes; (b) environmental (E) catalysts, like socio-demographic factors, psychological influences (e.g., from parents, teachers, or peers), or special talent development facilities and programs; and (c) chance (C). The DMGT includes a 5-level metric-based (MB) system to operationalize the prevalence of gifted or talented individuals, with a basic 'top 10 per cent' threshold for mild giftedness or talent, through successive 10 per cent cuts for moderate, high, exceptional and extreme levels. Complex interactions between the six components are surveyed. The text ends with a proposed answer to a fundamental question: 'What factor(s) make(s) a difference, on average, between those who emerge among the talented and those who remain average?'. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)

Comments on an article by Françoys Gagné (see record 2004-22507-002) on the Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent (DMGT). The target article presents a theory based on the development of natural abilities during ontogeny. This process of transforming natural gifts into developed skills is under the influence of factors, which are presented as catalysts. As the author claimed that DMGT clearly identifies every significant etiological factor of talent emergence, I dare to submit the following comments. Complex understanding of giftedness could not be reached without interdisciplinary cooperation and an interdisciplinary approach to the topic. Psychology as a research field studying social as well as the environmental factors in the long-lasting process of mind formation cannot stand apart from the biological processes that influence the structure and function of brain tissue and consequently enhance or inhibit development in a specific domain. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

Comments on an article by Françoys Gagné (see record 2004-22507-002) on the Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent (DMGT). Gagné has offered a most impressive synthesis of the developmental literature regarding the giftedness and talent. Given the comprehensiveness of the treatment, it would seem difficult that any commentator would be able to do anything more that tinker with some tangential feature of the model. Nonetheless, I would like to suggest that in future, elaborations of the model should be devoted to the specification of developmental trajectories-how participating factors, components and processes change over time. Especially crucial would be the explicit recognition that these trajectories may assume a far more complex form than specified in unidimensional and monotonic maturation models. Two examples are provided. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

Comments on Sternberg's article on WICS as a model for giftedness (see record 2004-10570-002). The current author suggests that while the world would undoubtedly be better if some gifted schools and fellowship and scholarship programmes adopted WICS, the world would not be improved if they all accepted Sternberg's proposal to adopt WICS or any common model of giftedness. The proposal is unrealistic, morally questionable, and undesirable. A world in which wise, intelligence, and creative people, however conceived, encourage the development of many types of gifted persons (including emotionally and spiritually gifted and even the gifted who seem bad bets) is more likely to produce a vigorous, interesting, and healthy future than one that follows Sternberg's monocultural proposal. A world with equal investment in everyone's development is even better. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)

This article presents the case of Geoffrey, a prolific 5-year-old writer. It examines his writing and how his intrapersonal factors and propitious environment contribute to his prodigious output. Childhood precocity is presented as an age-based comparable rather than as an adult-based predictor, consistent with Jackson's (2000) domain-specific developmental theory of giftedness. Geoffrey demonstrated highly precocious writing, both in production and in sophistication, and he demonstrated these abilities across a range and variety of content topics. The convergence of contributing influences evident in Geoffrey's life supports a growing literature on the coalescence factor within precocity. This implies that parents and educators have to carefully consider their influences. Suggestions are made concerning how developmental models of giftedness may need to expand to accommodate precocious writers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)

Asperger's Syndrome is a pervasive developmental disorder characterized by deficits in social communication and by repetitive patterns of behaviors or interests. It is observed in some gifted children. The author proposes that gifted children with Asperger's Syndrome may not be identified because their unusual behaviors may be wrongly attributed to either their giftedness or to a learning disability. This article discusses ways in which Asperger's Syndrome might be missed in gifted children and proposes guidelines for differentiating characteristics of giftedness from characteristics of Asperger's Syndrome. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Notes that one hundred years ago, William James' study of religious experience was based on reports of spiritually gifted adults. However, modern investigators found that when adults were asked about a spiritual experience of lasting significance in their lives, many described an event from childhood. This paper provides excerpts from investigations of adults who had spiritual experiences as children. These reports show that children are capable of authentic spiritual experiences of divine presence—God-in-everything, energy shimmering in living things, all-embracing unity and oneness, and much more, comparable to experiences of the great mystics. Moreover, the author contends that some children on their own have discovered techniques for entering the joyful state of heightened consciousness. It is argued that recently advanced arguments for spiritual intelligence prepare the ground for recognition of spiritual giftedness, as distinct from other facets of giftedness. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

This research aims to ascertain the qualitatively different ways in which teachers identify and describe gifted and talented children. It examines the variety of conceptions of giftedness held by teachers and analyses the patterns and inconsistencies among them. Initial findings of the study, conducted with 16 early childhood teachers (2 male and 14 female), are reported. A qualitative phenomenographic research design was adopted because of its focus on revealing individual understandings (conceptions). These results show that teachers understand giftedness as a series of conceptions, namely excellence, potential, rarity, behavior, innate ability, motivation and asynchrony. These are discussed with reference to existing theories and pertinent research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

After exposing some opposing principles in the practice of gifted education, this article proposes approaching giftedness as an identity issue. This shift of focus could reconcile opposing approaches, build congruence and strength in our field, and better serve the gifted population. To illustrate the feasibility of this approach and its potential outcomes, the article draws examples from the field of lesbian and gay studies, which has a long tradition of dealing with identity issues. If the shift to an identity approach were made, we should admit the constructed nature of giftedness, emphasize responsibility, pay more attention to adolescents, and facilitate the presence of openly gifted adults as role models. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

This article presents an overview of the status and organisation of vocational education in Germany in general, and discusses a pioneering effort of providing for the vocationally gifted in particular. The basis for this presentation is personal observation and research, particularly in the light of a major multidisciplinary research project, launched by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Science, aimed at evaluating recent efforts to promote vocational giftedness and to suggest a workable understanding of the theoretical construct. The effort of focusing vocational giftedness is still in its infancy, but results so far are promising and bode well for the future. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

Knowing one's giftedness and having a well-developed sense of identity as a gifted person are crucial for the development of the self. Many gifted people struggle with their giftedness, what it means to be gifted and how to develop that potential because there are few models available to assist in the identity development and counseling of gifted people. Moreover, identity itself is often viewed as an abstract concept making the task of bridging this concept to pragmatic applications highly challenging. The Gifted Identity Formation Model, presented here, helps bridge the theoretical with the practical, includes identity and its formation as crucial variables in the counseling process, and uses identity as the baseline for intervention. The model aids with assessment and helps deliver counseling related interventions that explore and strengthen the identity and identity formation of gifted people, in turn enhancing the health and development of the self. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

Investigated the relationships among ethnicity, gender, and vulnerability factors and locus of control for gifted and nongifted children. 805 ethnically diverse 5th–7th graders were evaluated for intellectual ability, locus of control, and the presence of vulnerability factors (e.g., cultural, economic, language). ANOVA revealed significant main effects for Giftedness, Ethnic Background, and Vulnerability Factors and a significant Ethnic × Vulnerability Interaction. In addition, a Gender × Giftedness × Ethnic Background ANOVA yielded a significant main effect for Gender. Overall, higher internal locus of control was associated with female Caucasians not at risk. Results show a more internal locus of control in gifted children and further indicate that for gifted and intellectually bright non-Caucasians vulnerability is associated with, and may serve to strengthen, a greater internal locus of control. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

Artistic giftedness in 4-, 6-, 8-, and 10-year-olds was investigated from a neo-Piagetian perspective, which articulates the increasingly complex structures for representing spatial relations in drawing during middle childhood. Composition, color use, and competence in human-figure drawing also were studied. Gifted young artists structured the spatial relations in their drawings, composed their drawings, and used color in a fashion similar to average children. However, they often used these variables in a flexible way, resulting in distinctive drawings. Their drawings were distinguished by graphic competence and the degree of elaboration in their human figures, skills that appear to be less constrained by developmental factors. Artistic giftedness may be demonstrated by the flexible and elaborate way in which gifted young artists use their structural capabilities and by their advanced mastery of specific artistic skills. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)

Definitions of giftedness now tend to recognize creative talents, but the most recent techniques for assessing creativity, which rely on productivity, may have caused certain problems for gifted education. The requirement for gifted students to produce something, for example, assumes that all of them have the expressive skills that support their insights, and this may not be true. It also assumes that products can be accurately evaluated, but unless quantity is used alone and quality entirely ignored, some sort of social significance is introduced into the assessment. Social significance can be very subjective, so the assessment loses its objectivity. Most important is that the insistence on productivity relegates potential. Children who have potential talent but need support, encouragement, and practice will be overlooked in favor of those children who already know how to construct and present socially meaningful products. It is concluded that although one must be careful with broad and inclusive definitions of talent, productivity requirements should be left out of definitions of giftedness. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

A domain-specific developmental model of giftedness is proposed as being more consistent with what is known about high level development than the widely-used categorical model. A research project is described which involves administering several measures in 3 different domains (Linguistic, Logical/Mathematical, and Social/Emotional) to 343 categorically gifted early adolescents (grades 6, 7, and 8). Results are interpreted as supportive of a perspective on giftedness as high level development which occurs in one or more specific domains, which is generally consistent with gender socialization practices. Implications for gifted assessment and programming are discussed, particularly the need to provide flexibly responsive programming designed to match students' diverse educational needs as they vary both within and across individuals, and to reconsider educational practice regarding the Social/Emotional domain. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

Studied the general intellectual abilities, the performance motivation, and the creative abilities of 7th graders who were gifted in language and mathematics. Human Ss: 28 male and female Slovak school-age children and adolescents (aged 12.5–13.5 yrs) (mathematical giftedness) (7th graders at a special school) (experimental group). 33 male and female Slovak school-age children and adolescents (aged 12.5–13.5 yrs) (language giftedness) (7th graders at a special school) (experimental group). 28 normal male and female Slovak school-age children and adolescents (aged 12.5–13.5 yrs) (7th graders at a regular school) (control group). Tests used: The Intelligence Structure Test, the Achievement Motivation Questionnaire (T. Pardel et al, 1987), the Creative Thinking Test—Drawing (K. Urban and H. G. Jellen, 1986) and the Adjective Check List of Creativity (T. Yarnell and G. Domino). (English & German abstracts) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)