FAQS: Frequently asked questions about giftedness

Are gifted children “different”?
Gifted children tend to have superior abilities, and
they are more receptive to new experiences and ideas,
more interested in intellectually challenging leisure time
activities, tend to rate their own capabilities at higher
levels, and often show a greater willingness and desire to
excel than children who are not gifted. But are there any
other differences? According to research, gifted and nongifted
children are more alike than different in areas
outside of achievement-related domains. There are no
differences between the two groups, for example, in the
frequency of mental health problems or in their emotional
well-being. Likewise, gifted people do not tend to be more
conscientious or introverted, nor are they less agreeable.
These children have comparable to higher social skills and
just as many friends as children who are not gifted. Minor
differences are found when evaluating one’s own appearance
and athletic abilities: In these areas, the self-evaluations
of gifted people tend to be slightly lower than those
of their nongifted peers. These findings all relate to comparisons
of gifted and nongifted individuals as groups, that
is, to an average value that does not always apply universally
to each individual. However, in certain cases, special
circumstances may arise (see, e.g., the discussions on
underachievement on p. 58 and extreme giftedness on p. 9).
Problems can arise when the child’s needs are overlooked
or when the environment responds to the needs inappropriately.
The feeling of being “different from the others”
may be present as well. However, this applies equally to
both gifted and nongifted individuals.
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