Giftedness

Introduction

The assessment of giftedness has it roots in the study of individual differences which has focused on the constructs of intelligence, creativity, and motivation. Although broad definitions of gifted-ness have emerged, the most extensive body of research on assessment concentrates on intelligence. Unfortunately, the construct of intelligence is enigmatic and models of intelligence range from unidimensional to multidimensional. Of course, the identification of giftedness should not be based solely on an intelligence test, but also on the basis of the social and cultural context. To assess the construct of giftedness, valid and reliable measures of domain specific knowledge, speed, and metacognition are necessary. Alternative assessment procedures, such as Sternberg's Triarchic model or dynamic assessment, should also be considered.

Definition of Giftedness

There is no agreed upon definition of giftedness or talent that dominates the field. Sternberg and Davidson (1986) edited a collection of 17 conceptualizations of giftedness. The range in conceptualizations was diverse, but the majority concentrated on the psychological aspects of giftedness. The psychological aspects emphasized constructs of intelligence, creativity, and motivation. Renzulli (1978) suggested that giftedness is an interaction of three clusters of traits: above-average general or specific abilities, task commitment, and creativity.

Feldhusen and Jarwan's (1993) review of definitions of giftedness and talent fell into six categories: psychometric definitions, trait definitions, definitions focused on social needs, education-oriented definitions, special talent definitions, and multi-dimensional definitions. These categories were not mutually exclusive.

Often, giftedness and talent are used interchangeably. However, the two concepts can be differentiated (Gagne, Belanger & Motard, 1993). Giftedness is above average competence in a human ability, whereas talent is above average performance in a particular field. Giftedness refers to human aptitudes such as intelligence or creative abilities, whereas talent is demonstrated in a human activity such as mathematics, literature, or music.

Psychological Characteristics

Theoretically, the study of giftedness is related to the psychology of individual differences. Constructs of intelligence and creativity, and to some extent motivation, have provided the psychological foundations for the assessment of giftedness. The empirical rigour of most of this research, however, is poor. However, by far the greatest body of empirical research on the assessment of giftedness is related to intelligence. Unfortunately, intelligence is an enigmatic concept. For example, is intelligence the same as verbal ability, analytic thinking, academic aptitude, strategy thinking, or just the ability to problem solve? Further, models of intelligence range from unidimensional, such as Spearman's g, to a three dimensional or multidimensional model according to Sternberg's (1985) Triarchic theory, or Guilford's 120 components.

In one of the classic longitudinal studies in the field, Terman (1925) investigated the various characteristics of individuals with high IQ (those with IQ scores at 140 and above). Using a 1916 edition of the Stanford-Binet, Terman and colleagues identified over 1500 children whose IQs of 140 or over placed them in the top 1% in the United States. He found that gifted individuals were of average socioeconomic status and physical characteristics, but scored above average on a variety of psychological characteristics.

Sternberg and Davidson's (1986) review outlined a number of cognitive abilities of which gifted individuals are exceptional: they have high [Page 431]general intelligence and specific ability in an area of expertise, and they can easily conceive of high order relations. Many of these characteristics are in an area we call metacognition.

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