Bright minds, dark prospects? Three myths about giftedness

Myth 1: Giftedness can be recognised by behaviour

Efforts to link giftedness with certain personality traits have long been made in science. The Polish psychologist Kazimierz Dabrowski, who coined the term «overexcitability» in the 1960s, was a major influence on the literature. Dabrowski saw this overexcitability as the characteristic in which highly gifted people differ most from those with normal abilities. Essentially, he assumed that gifted people have a hereditary increased excitability of the central nervous system and therefore tend to be more sensitive.

According to Dabrowski, the sensory and emotional perceptions of gifted people therefore go far beyond the usual level, which manifests itself in characteristic personality traits and behaviour. The list of these characteristics is long. One of the most frequently cited is a high level of energy, which can manifest itself in a rapid pace of speech, restlessness, aggressive behaviour or a low need for sleep. Dabrowski also claims to have observed that gifted children often have a great thirst for knowledge, a strong imagination, a strong sense of justice and a critical mind.

«Gifted children are first and foremost children - with weaknesses and advantages, just like their peers»

Detlef H. Rost, Professor of Educational Psychology and Developmental Psychology at the University of Marburg.

What is it all about? «There is no empirical evidenceto support Dabrowski's assumption that there is a connection between giftedness and personality traits other than cognitive abilities,» says Letizia Gauck from the Centre for Developmental and Personality Psychology at the University of Basel.

«Nevertheless, corresponding checklists aimed at parents, for example, are commonplace in counselling practice.» Christoph Perleth, professor of psychology at the University of Rostock, was among those who showed that analysing these lists does not allow any reliable conclusions to be drawn about differences between gifted and highly gifted children. His research report suggests that neither a reduced need for sleep nor perfectionism, a sense of justice or rebellion against authority are useful indicators of giftedness. Detlef H. Rost speaks of «ineradicable myths».

«There are no reliable neuropsychological findings that confirm Dabrowski's speculations. We have been able to show empirically that his concept of overexcitability is useless for identifying gifted people,» says the Professor of Educational Psychology and Developmental Psychology at the University of Marburg. Rost heads the Marburg Gifted Project, one of the largest long-term studies on giftedness. Highly gifted children do not need less sleep than others, they are neither highly sensitive nor do they constantly want to talk about adult topics, says Rost: «Highly gifted children are first and foremost children - with weaknesses and advantages, just like their peers.»

Dossier: Giftedness

Myth 2: Giftedness should be clarified as quickly as possible

The gifted diagnostic counselling centre «Brain», which Rost heads at the University of Marburg, is receiving more and more calls from parents who want to give their children the best possible support. «Many are unsure and want to have their child's intelligence tested as early as possible,» says Rost. «But you don't go to the doctor just to have the size of their spleen measured.» Giftedness diagnostics are indicated if, for example, the question arises as to whether a child should skip a class or start school early. Rost does not accept the widespread assumption that boredom at school is an indication of giftedness.

The discussion about giftedness is usually focussed on problematic individual cases rather than on the current state of research.

For educational scientist Margrit Stamm, the crucial question is how the child is doing. «In our country, giftedness is equated with high risk,» says Stamm. «So it is understandable that parents or teachers seek diagnostic clarification at the slightest "suspicion» without considering whether subsequent support is desirable, possible or, for various reasons, superfluous or problematic.

It is superfluous, for example, if the child is developing without any problems overall or is against an assessment, and problematic if the identification of giftedness leads to labelling but not to suitable support measures.

Gauck observes a tendency to assume a diagnosis behind undesirable behaviour or at least to try to find a label for it in her consultation: This can lead to stalemate situations where the teacher, for example, prematurely concludes that the child has ADHD and the parents counter this with the suspicion of giftedness.

Concentration problems, aggression, social withdrawal or discomfort: If such behavioural patterns occur more frequently than in children of the same age and are a burden on the child or their environment, this is a good reason to see a psychologist - but not yet a reason for laypeople to make a diagnosis.

Myth 3: Gifted people have a hard time socialising

The assertion allegedly formulated by Aristotle, according to which particularly bright minds are always equipped with a dash of madness, still persists today. It is therefore hardly surprising that highly gifted people are said to be susceptible to social or psychological problems. However, science shows a different picture: apart from their high cognitive abilities, gifted people hardly differ from other people.

According to scientists, giftedness is generally not a problem, but a stroke of luck. This is shown by the oldest long-term study, which was started by US psychologist Lewis Terman in 1921. The test subjects, just over 1500 gifted children, were regularly examined until they were very old.

The findings? They achieved above-average results at school and university, and a disproportionately high number of them went on to work in highly qualified professions. The Terman study also found that highly gifted people were generally in better health and fewer of them suffered from emotional problems or personality disorders than people of average intelligence.

Apart from their high cognitive abilities, gifted people hardly differ from other people.

Rost draws similar conclusions from the Marburg gifted project. In summary, gifted children can be characterised as socially unassuming, mentally stable and self-confident, says the researcher. Rost clearly answers the question of whether they have difficulties in social interaction in the negative. Highly gifted children and young people do not see themselves as social outsiders, and their teachers also rate their integration into the classroom as good.

The discussion about giftedness is usually focused exclusively on problematic individual cases rather than on the current state of research, criticises educational scientist Stamm: «This gives rise to new "theories» that oscillate between glorification and problematisation and condense into everyday ideas about the gifted child.

These ideas are problematic because they are based on experience with clients from counselling practices. They are therefore based on data that is not representative but pre-selected, which leads to systematically distorted results: These take little account of the fact that those children and young people who do not have problems with their giftedness are not included. Such one-sided viewpoints contribute to giftedness increasingly being cited as the cause of a wide range of problems, says Stamm.

Read more about giftedness:

Individual articles:

• Hochbegabung: Kinder auf der Überholspur. Sie lernen rasend schnell und kombinieren messerscharf: Hochbegabte sind Gleichaltrigen in ihren kognitiven Fähigkeiten weit voraus. Was bedeutet dieser Entwicklungsvorsprung für die Kinder, ihre Eltern, die Schule

• «Intelligenz wirkt auf viele bedrohlich», sagt die die Intelligenzforscherin Elsbeth Stern. 

• Helle Köpfe, dunkle Aussichten? Drei Mythen über Hochbegabung. Über angebliche Persönlichkeitseigenschaften und Verhaltensweisen Hochbegabter existieren zahlreiche Mythen. Wir haben uns drei davon genauer angesehen.
• Hochbegabung: Die meisten Eltern fürchten sich vor der Diagnose. Das Thema Hochbegabung ist in der Schweiz noch ein Tabu. Darunter leiden Eltern und Kinder, sagt Giselle Reimann. Sie führt an der Uni Basel Abklärungen von Hochbegabten durch.

Dossier Hochbegabung: 

• Als hochbegabt gilt ein Kind, wenn es einen IQ von mehr als 130 Punkten hat. Was bedeutet dies für seine schulische Laufbahn? Und wie muss es gefördert werden? Antworten und ­Hintergründe zum Thema Hochbegabung in unserem grossen Dossier.