Multipotential abilities and vocational interests in gifted adolescents: Fact or fiction?

The widely held view that highly intellectually gifted adolescents are mult ipotential in their abilities and career interests was investigated in two samples (N = 322 and N = 217) of gifted'high school seniors. Three measures of intellectual abilities-verbal, mathematical, and mechanical-and a measu re of vocational interest based upon nonacademic talented activities and ac complishments that yielded scores for vocational interest in three areas-Sc ience, Social, and Artistic-were administered. Contrary to the. widely held view, a very large proportion of intellectually gifted adolescents reporte d a differentiated pattern of both abilities and interests, and a very smal l proportion reported the expected high-flat ability and interest profiles. The findings suggest that the working assumptions of career education and counselling of intellectually gifted adolescents should perhaps be reconsid ered.