Giftedness: Current theory and research

Gifted children, those with unusually high ability in one or more domains, not only develop more rapidly than typical children, but also appear to be qualitatively different. They have an intense drive to master, require litt le explicit tuition, and, if intellectually gifted, often pose deep philoso phical questions. Although; some psychologists have tried to account for th e achievements of gifted individuals solely in terms of drive or "deliberat e practice," no evidence allows us to rule out innate differences in talent . Profiles of gifted individuals are often uneven: Extremely high ability i n one area can coexist with ordinary or even subnormal ability in another a rea. Scientific investigation of the gifted reveals the importance of drive and hard work in achievement of any kind, and the lack of necessary correl ation among abilities in different areas.