SpringerLink
Log in

Giftedness

  • Living reference work entry
  • First Online:
The Palgrave Encyclopedia of the Possible

  • 163 Accesses

Abstract

Those labeled intellectually gifted either as children and/or adults exist in every ethnic, socioeconomic group and culture. Gifted and talented individuals exhibit a diverse and unlimited range of advanced learning and cognitive characteristics. They also differ, however, in cognitive, personal, and affective areas including academic traits, effort, temperament, educational achievement and attainment, productivity, creativity, and risk taking. Some individuals identified as gifted have very advanced capabilities and can self-regulate and sustain the effort needed to achieve personally, academically, and in their careers. Despite their label of giftedness, however, a significant number of very intelligent individuals fail to realize a high level of accomplishment or, as Glǎveanu (Eur J Psychol 14(3):519–530, 2018) suggests, realize their possible selves. This failure of realization either in their education or chosen professions often results in the label of underachiever in school or unfortunately, in life accomplishments. The reasons for their underachievement vary, but it is clear that some highly able and talented students are either unwilling or unable to devote the time and focus necessary to develop and realize their talents. The development of giftedness requires individuals to expend extraordinary levels of effort and focus, and some very high potential individuals do not or cannot make that commitment. This entry begins with definitions of giftedness and a brief overview of its history, before summarizing recent research in this area, and ending with research-based suggestions on how to develop giftedness and the educational and personal conditions to foster and enhance it.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bloom, B. S. (Ed.). (1985). Develo** talent in young people. New York: Ballantine Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carroll, J. B. (1993). Human cognitive abilities: A survey of factor-analytic studies. New York: Cambridge University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Csikszentmihalyi, M., Rathunde, K., & Whalen, S. (1993). Talented teenagers: A longitudinal study of their development. New York: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dai, D. Y. (2010). The nature and nurture of giftedness: A new framework for understanding gifted education. New York: Teachers College Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dai, D. Y., & Renzulli, J. S. (2008). Snowflakes, living systems, and the mystery of giftedness. Gifted Child Quarterly, 52, 114–130.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gagné, F. (2000). Understanding the complex choreography of talent development. In K. A. Heller, F. J. Mönks, R. J. Sternberg, & R. F. Subotnik (Eds.), International handbook of giftedness and talent (pp. 67–79). Amsterdam: Elsevier.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gardner, H. (1983). Frames of mind: The theory of multiple intelligences. Needham Heights: Allyn & Bacon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gardner, H. (1993). The relationship between early giftedness and later achievement. In Ciba Foundation (Ed.), Ciba foundation symposium, 178. The origins and development of high ability (pp. 175–186). Oxford: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gardner, H. (1995). Reflections on multiple intelligences: Myths and messages. Phi Delta Kappan, 77, 200–209.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gardner, H. (2016a). Multiple intelligences: Prelude, theory, and aftermath. In R. J. Sternberg, S. T. Fiske, & D. J. Foss (Eds.), Scientists making a difference: One hundred eminent behavioral and brain scientists talk about their most important contributions (pp. 167–170). New York: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gardner, H. (2016b). Three frames for good work. In M. Levinson & J. Fay (Eds.), Dilemmas of educational ethics: Cases and commentaries (pp. 97–100). Cambridge, MA: Harvard Education Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Glǎveanu, V. P. (2018). The possible as a field of inquiry. Europe’s Journal of Psychology, 14(3), 519–530.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gustafsson, J., & Undheim, J. O. (1996). Individual differences in cognitive functions. In D. C. Berliner & R. C. Calfee (Eds.), Handbook of educational psychology (pp. 186–242). New York: Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lohman, D. F., Gambrell, J., & Lakin, J. (2008). The commonality of extreme discrepancies in the ability profiles of academically gifted students. Psychology Science Quarterly, 50, 269–282.

    Google Scholar 

  • Phillipson, S. N., & McCann, M. (2007). Conceptions of giftedness: Sociocultural perspectives. Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reis, S. M. (1998). Work left undone: Choices and compromises of talented women. Mansfield Center: Creative Learning Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reis, S. M. (2005). Feminist perspectives on talent development: A research based conception of giftedness in women. In R. J. Sternberg & J. Davidson (Eds.), Conceptions of giftedness (2nd ed., pp. 217–245). Boston: Cambridge University Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Renzulli, J. S. (1978). What makes giftedness: Reexamining a definition. Phi Delta Kappan, 60, 180–184.

    Google Scholar 

  • Renzulli, J. S. (1986). The three ring conception of giftedness: A developmental model for creative productivity. In R. J. Sternberg & J. Davidson (Eds.), Conceptions of giftedness (pp. 246–279). New York: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Renzulli, J. S. (2002). Expanding the conception of giftedness to include co-cognitive traits and to promote social capital. Phi Delta Kappan, 84(33–40), 57–58.

    Google Scholar 

  • Renzulli, J. S. (2005). The three-ring conception of giftedness: A developmental model for promoting creative productivity. In R. J. Sternberg & J. Davidson (Eds.), Conceptions of giftedness (2nd ed., pp. 217–245). Boston: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Renzulli, J. S. (2012). Reexamining the role of gifted education and talent development for the 21st century: A four-part theoretical approach. Gifted Child Quarterly, 56, 150–159.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Renzulli, J. S., & Reis, S. M. (1985). The Three Ring Conception of giftedness: A developmental approach for promoting creative productivity in young people. South Afrian Journal of Education, 5, 1–18.

    Google Scholar 

  • Renzulli, J. S., & Reis, S. M. (2014). The Schoolwide Enrichment Model: A how-to guide for talent development (3rd ed.). Waco: Prufrock Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Simonton, D. K. (2005). Genetics of giftedness: The implications of an emergenic-epigenetic model of giftedness. In R. J. Sternberg & J. E. Davidson (Eds.), Conceptions of giftedness (2nd ed., pp. 312–326). Boston: Cambridge University Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Simonton, D. K. (2008). Scientific talent, training, and performance: Intellect, personality, and genetic endowment. Review of General Psychology, 12, 28–46.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sternberg, R. J. (1985). Beyond IQ: A triarchic theory of human intelligence. New York: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sternberg, R. J. (1996). Successful intelligence: How practical and creative intelligence determine success in life. New York: Simon & Schuster.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sternberg, R. J. (2005). The WISC model of giftedness. In R. J. Sternberg & J. Davidson (Eds.), Conceptions of giftedness (2nd ed., pp. 327–342). Boston: Cambridge University Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Sternberg, R. J. (Ed.). (2018). The nature of human intelligence. New York: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sternberg, R. J., & Davidson, J. (Eds.). (1986). Conceptions of giftedness. New York: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sternberg, R. J., & Davidson, J. (Eds.). (2005). Conceptions of giftedness (2nd ed.). Boston: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Subotnik, R. F., Olszewski-Kubilius, P., & Worrell, F. C. (2011). Rethinking giftedness and gifted education: A proposed direction forward based on psychological science. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 12, 3–54.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Subotnik, R. F., Olszewski-Kubilius, P., & Worrell, F. C. (2012). A proposed direction forward for gifted education based on psychological science. Gifted Child Quarterly, 56, 176–188.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Terman, L. M. (1925–1959). Genetic studies of genius (5 vols.). Stanford: Stanford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neag School of Education, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA

    Sally M. Reis & Joseph S. Renzulli

Authors
  1. Sally M. Reis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Joseph S. Renzulli
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Joseph S. Renzulli .

Section Editor information

  1. University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, USA

    Ross Anderson

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2020 The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this entry

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this entry

Reis, S.M., Renzulli, J.S. (2020). Giftedness. In: The Palgrave Encyclopedia of the Possible. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-98390-5_54-1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-98390-5_54-1

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-98390-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-98390-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Behavioral Science and PsychologyReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation