Curious about the various dimensions of giftedness? Nuance desired!
Curious about the various dimensions of giftedness? Nuance desired!
Provides a clear explanation of the nuances between giftedness, high ability, and cognitively strong functioning, based on Gagné’s DMGT model and applied within the context of Flanders and the Netherlands.
Shows how innate abilities can develop into talents through environmental influences and appropriate support, with attention to both cognitive characteristics and the growth of the whole person.
Helps parents, teachers, and professionals better recognize, understand, and support gifted and highly able learners in educational and guidance settings.
To achieve a thorough nuance between different terms used in society regarding giftedness, we prefer to use the giftedness model of Françoys Gagné, who is a prominent expert in the field of giftedness and talent development. He is known for his Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent (DMGT), a model that identifies and explains various aspects of giftedness and talent.
Gifts and talents
According to Gagné, giftedness encompasses a wide range of skills in various domains such as cognitive, creative, socio-emotional, and sensorimotor. This quality can manifest in different ways and varies from person to person. Cognitive giftedness specifically focuses on intellectual aspects, with an emphasis on abstract thinking, problem-solving skills, and processing and analyzing complex information.
Gagné emphasizes that giftedness is not solely determined by innate qualities but is also developed through a learning process into talents, influenced by environmental factors and non-cognitive characteristics. He underscores that diverse domains of giftedness can lead to different types of talents in various fields such as academics, arts, sports, technology, and so forth. Although cognitive giftedness can also develop outside traditional academic subjects, such as in arts or sports, it is often associated with academic disciplines such as mathematics, sciences, and languages. Therefore, Gagné advocates for challenging and stimulating learning environments that can unfold and harness the talents of cognitively gifted individuals, and he insists on differentiated education tailored to the specific needs and interests of gifted students.
In essence, Gagné's vision of giftedness highlights its complexity and emphasizes a holistic approach that considers both innate qualities and environmental influences. Hoogbloeier® adds that we should not only consider the cognitive aspect but also involve the individual as a whole in guidance and support.
Gifted and highly gifted
Gagné classifies someone as gifted when they belong to the top 10% in a particular domain compared to peers. In the cognitive domain, this typically corresponds to above-average intellectual ability, often reflected in a score of 120 or higher on an intelligence test.
In international English-language literature, the term gifted is generally used for individuals with an IQ around 130 or higher, which corresponds to what is called hoogbegaafd in Dutch. Characteristics often include precocity, abstract reasoning, rapid learning, and creative problem-solving.
The term highly gifted is usually reserved for individuals scoring around IQ 145 or above, which aligns with what is referred to as uitzonderlijk hoogbegaafd in Dutch. This group demonstrates exceptional cognitive abilities and processes information at a significantly accelerated and more complex level.
Strong cognitive functioning
In Flemish education, the term 'strong cognitive functioning' has recently been introduced, which encompasses more than just a high score on an intelligence test. It includes a wide range of strong cognitive and/or academic skills, influenced by both student characteristics and environmental factors. This group of students, also referred to as CSF (Cognitively Strong Functioning) students, includes both cognitively gifted and high-performing students who are not necessarily gifted. Underachieving cognitively gifted students are also included in this group. Adjustments in education are crucial for both groups. The Cognitive Talent Development Model of Project TALENT extends Gagné's giftedness model to the cognitive domain, given its significant impact on academic performance.
The primary distinction between giftedness, high giftedness, and cognitive giftedness concerns the degree of intellectual capacity and the domain in which it is manifested. Giftedness encompasses a wide range, while high giftedness indicates extraordinary intellectual capacity, and cognitive giftedness specifically focuses on intellectual aspects. Understanding these nuances is crucial for effectively supporting and challenging gifted individuals in various situations.
We use the term "gifted" on our website due to frequent searches by parents of cognitively gifted children, teachers, and gifted adults. Nevertheless, we aim for the above text to provide nuances about the differences between these concepts.
What is the difference between gifted and highly gifted?
Giftedness refers to strong cognitive abilities within the top 10%, often corresponding to an IQ score of 120 or above. High ability goes a step further and typically begins around an IQ score of 130+, combined with characteristics such as early development, abstract thinking, fast learning curves, and creative problem-solving.
What does Gagné’s DMGT model say about how talent develops?
According to Gagné, gifts are innate abilities in domains such as cognitive, creative, social-emotional, or sensori-motor. These gifts develop into talents when shaped by environmental factors such as education, and by non-cognitive personal factors, including motivation and other individual characteristics.
What does ‘cognitively strong functioning’ (CSF) mean in Flemish education?
Cognitively strong functioning includes cognitively gifted learners, high-achieving students who are not necessarily gifted, as well as underachieving gifted learners. The concept highlights the need for educational adjustments for all these groups to support optimal development.
References
Gagné, F. (2000). Transforming Gifts into Talents: The DMGT as a Developmental Theory. In: Colangelo, N., Davis, G.A. (2003). Handbook of Gifted Education. Pearson Education, Inc.
Gagné, F. (2004). Transforming gifts into talents: the DMGT as a developmental theory. High Ability Studies. 15(2). 119-147.
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