Giftedness

Giftedness is often merely based on intelligence and IQ scores, as it is expressed that one could speak of giftedness when someone has an IQ score higher than 130. An IQ score higher than 130 concerns only 2% of the population.

Intelligence alone is however not the only component of giftedness as suggested by the Delphi-model.

According to the Delphi model, gifted people could be described as follows: “A gifted person is a fast and clever thinker (to think) that is able to handle complex matters. Autonomous (to be), curiosity and driven by nature (to want). At the same time also a sensitive (to perceive) and emotional person (to feel). Intense living and fun creative (to do) in creating things.”

M.B.G.M. Kooijman - van Thiel (red). Hoogbegaafd. Dat zie je zó! Over zelfbeeld en imago van hoogbegaafden. OYA Productions, 2008
Translation by C. van Stijl.

The different components that constitute giftedness according to the Delphi-model can be found in the table below. What is important to note, is that giftedness occurs to different extents in different components, and thus that giftedness manifests itself differently in different gifted persons; some components are stronger for some gifted person than others.

Rianne van de Ven and Delphi-model from M.B.G.M. Kooijman - van Thiel.

Dabrowski overexcitabilities

Not only the Delphi-model, but also the Theory of Positive Disintegration of Dabrowski could be used to describe giftedness. In his theory, Dabrowski describes different ways in which people could have a stronger reaction to stimuli resulting from mental activity beyond the ordinary, which he denotes Overexcitabilities. These Overexcitabilities include: 1. Psychomotor, which concerns the physical surplus of energy; 2. Sensual, which concerns enhanced sensory and aesthetic pleasure; 3. Intellectual, which concerns intensified activity of the mind; 4. Imaginational, which concerns the broad and free play of imagination and; 5. Emotional, which concerns intensified feelings and emotions.* Many of the characteristics that gifted people experience are associated with these overexcitabilities.

*More detailed information about the theory of Dabrowski can be found below at the section interesting links.

Characteristics

Source: Hans Lip Coacht and Rianne van de Ven
An overview of the characteristics that many gifted people experience is given below. Please note that not every gifted person experiences all of the different listed characteristics, or experiences all of the characteristics to the same extent. Giftedness manifests itself differently in different persons. Most gifted people however could identify themselves with many of the following characteristics: 

• Feeling different
• Way of thinking is not understood
• Having solutions quickly
• Difficulties with authority
• Strong sense of justice
• Rather not have small talk
• Often perceived as too serious
• Low self-esteem
• Different sense of humor (especially concerning language)
• High expectations in general
• Faithful and loyal
• Wants to make the world a better place
• Rather have no repeating
• Gets bored quickly
• Feeling that you can do better
• Procrastination
• Wants to do a lot
• Sometimes feeling like you are able to do everything and other times you would rather not
• Extraordinary creativity

High sensitivity is one of the components that could constitute a gifted person. A Highly Sensitive Person(HSP), does however not always have to be a gifted person. Also, a gifted person does not always have to be HSP; some people merely experience intensity in their sensitivity, whereas others also experience intensity in other areas.

An HSP could be described as follows: “A highly sensitive person is more than average sensitive for impressions and stimuli, and notices more signals and details. All impressions are extensive and more intense than an average person has.“                                                                                                 -  “The Highly Sensitive Person” (Aron, 1996).

HSPs have a nervous system that has a stronger response to stimuli than people who do not experience high sensitivity. According to brain scans, HSPs have more parts of their brain that are active during the processing of stimuli interactions, and HSPs do more with stimuli than other people. The type of stimuli that HSPs perceive to a stronger extent generally concern seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and feeling (i.e. sensual overexcitability), but also emotions, moods and atmospheres (i.e. emotional overexcitability). Because of the fact that HSPs perceive more stimuli, they are more easily overwhelmed or tired, but for instance also possibly more able to enjoy moments in life. Due to this heightened stimuli perception, there is however also a greater probability for HSPs to get a burn-out, depression, anxiety disorder, etc. 

Besides, it is important to note that there are also differences in sensitivity in HSPs; not every HSP experiences the same degree of sensitivity. Taking time to rest and get to a balanced state of being is however important for most HSPs, as it could lower the chance of getting burn-outs, depression or anxiety disorders. It is therefore important to learn where your own limits are and prevent yourself from crossing them.

Literature

• Dabrowski - Theory of overexcitabilities: 1999 & 2006
• Article about the thinking processes of exceptionally gifted children (in this article assigned with an IQ of above 170)

Books

• Paula Prober - Your Rainforest Mind: A Guide to the Well-Being of Gifted Adults and Youth
• James T. Webb - Searching for Meaning. Idealism, Bright Minds, Disillusionment, and Hope
• Susan Daniels & Michael M. Piechowski - Living with Intensity