Social & emotional needs, tall poppies, and wisdom

• Identify, discuss, and evaluate some of the key concepts relating to particular social and emotional needs that may be experienced by people who are gifted,
• Explain some of the potential challenges around the Big Fish, Little Pond Effect, and what this might mean for people who are gifted at home, school or work,
• Articulate some of the concepts relating to the experience of the Tall Poppy Syndrome and Robert Sternberg’s ACCEL Model (Active Concerned Citizenship and Ethical Leadership) and the construct of transformational giftedness; and
• Consider the meaning of ‘wisdom’ as it might relate to people who are gifted.

That's the formal part out of the way! 

Please access the welcome video here:

https://youtu.be/0kuidi0CHQA

Don't hesitate to make contact with me directly if you have any questions about any of the material. I can be contacted at jasneath.education@outlook.com, via the 'contact us' link on the website: jasneatheducation.com, or on Facebook at https://fb.me/JasneathEducationThank you for joining the Jasneath Education community!   

For all people, there are a range of elements that will determine whether or not they achieve their potential. This is true whether or not a person is gifted, twice exceptional, has an IQ that is firmly in the centre of the Bell Curve, or if they have learning challenges. Each individual person's potential is unique to them and certainly merely having abilities and gifts in any domain of endeavour does not guarantee that those potentialities will become developed talents.

The literature has presented numerous ways of identifying these influencing factors, for example "work ethic, leadership, emotional intelligence, interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligence, character traits, personality, drive, and psychosocial skills, to name a few" (Rinn, 2020, Introduction, para 4). Regardless of the terminology used to describe these factors, having an increased understanding of their characteristics and how they may influence the gifted learners in your world, will be valuable.

For over a century there has been a perception that highly intelligent people lived lives of social isolation, plagued by emotional instability and ridicule at the hands of others. Rinn (2020) highlights that these perceptions were evidenced in the literature as long ago as 1891. Thankfully, with greater research and understanding, as well as increased accessibility to information, some of these stigmas are reducing (Košira et al., 2016). Even the mainstream media, through movies and television, have contributed to a greater understanding and, for the most part, acceptance of differences that may be experienced by some gifted learners. It's important, too, to remember that the gifted population is not a homogeneous group - they are highly diverse. 

Through the contemporary literature, we understand that giftedness refers to the potential to perform in the top 10% in any learning domain, as outlined in the Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent (DMGT) (Gagné, 2012, 2013). Gagné (2017, p. 152) separately defined the constructs of giftedness and talent:  

Giftedness designates the possession and use of biologically anchored and informally developed outstanding natural abilities or aptitudes (called gifts), in at least one ability domain, to a degree that places an individual at least among the top 10% of age peers. 

Talent designates the outstanding mastery of systematically developed competencies (knowledge and skills) in at least one field of human activity to a degree that places an individual at least among the top 10% of “learning peers” (those having accumulated a similar amount of learning time from either current or past training). 

If you would like to read Gagné's chapter, it's available from the  Course Downloads page of the Jasneath Education website. 

There are other models or theories of giftedness, which along with the DMGT are outlined within Jasneath Education's 'Understanding Giftedness: An Introduction' course. Definitions will also vary, but what is agreed upon is the need for understanding and that we effectively cater for the diverse learning and experiential needs of gifted people. What is also important to remember, is that every person, gifted or not, will experience a raft of life experiences. This is fundamental to being human. For children, their life experiences will be different to those of us who have lived longer. Children, by their very nature, will experience social and emotional challenges in reponse to some of these life experiences. It's what we'd expect from a child. Similarly, adults will have a broader range of experiences that inform their responses. So, for both children and adults internal emotional factors interact with life experience and social factors to produce responses. What is different for gifted learners is their experience of asynchrony. We'll explore this in the next section.

As you progress through this course, I would encourage you to keep a journal - whether it be for personal reflection, notes from the content, or for completing activities such as this. Your journal can be any format. You might like to write in a notebook, type in a digital format, or even a verbal recording. Anything is fine. 

Module 1 Overview  

The following topics will be covered in this Module:

• A general introduction and a consideration of the public perceptions around giftedness
• We look to the work of Dr Leta Hollingworth and consider the complexities that arise from asynchronous development
• We consider ways that giftedness may impact upon relationships, including those between parents and children, and gifted learners and their peers.
• We also briefly address heightened sensitivities which may also be experienced by gifted learners.

Module Overview  

The following topics will be covered in this Module:

• To begin, we're going to consider the nature of existential concerns as they may relate to gifted learners
• We'll then look at the ACCEL model and the construct of Transformational Giftedness, and
• We will end this module, and the course, with a consideration of Wisdom - what it means, and how it may play a vital role in the future of humanity.

Existential Concerns

Miraca Gross (1989) reminds us that existential concerns have been noted as a frequent characteristic of gifted learners since the time of Leta Hollingworth's 1926 text. The search for meaning about the universe and one's own place in it, our contribution and purpose can be all-consuming and on occasion can develop a darker side. It is also really important to note that an interest in the 'big picture' questions of life does not have a direct correlation with that person developing into a clinical depressive state. Even existential concern or angst does not equate to existential depression, however, of course in some cases this does become a clinical condition and it's therefore important that we do consider this. Please take a few minutes to read James T. Webb's blog post on existential depression in gifted individuals.

Webb's blog highlights some very positive traits. Idealism, for example. However he importantly, does acknowledge that this can also be something of a catalyst to the disappointment, angst, and potentially depression that might stem from realising that the world is not achieving its potential. Whilst acknowledging the existential depression that can develop for some people who grapple with these meaning-of-life questions, it is also important to recognise that this can, for some people, escalate into suicidal ideation. If you have the slightest concern about these issues for anyone in your world, please seek the support of appropriate mental health professionals. 

If you would like to read a little further on this topic, please see an April 2022 article written by Andrew Solomon and published in The New Yorker, entitled 'The Unthinkable: Child suicide is on the rise. Where are we going wrong?' This is a confronting article (well, I found it to be...), so I'm not going to link it directly within this course, however if you would like access to it, it is available from the Jasneath Education course downloads page.

Whilst the topic of existential depression is challenging, it is also important, but we're now going to move onto a couple of more uplifting topics: Sternberg's ACCEL model and Transformational Giftedness.

Introducing the work of Professor Robert J. Sternberg 

Robert J Sternberg is a Professor of Human Development in the College of Human Ecology at Cornell University in the United States. He is a prolific and esteemed writer and thinker across psychology, education, and more particularly for us, gifted education. If you would like to read further about his work, please visit his website.

In 2017 he proposed a new approach to the identification of gifted learners, known as the ACCEL Model (Sternberg, 2017). The acronym stands for ‘Active Concerned Citizenship and Ethical Leadership’ and is a significant move away from the use of standard IQ tests to determine giftedness. In presenting his Model, Sternberg notes that definitions of intelligence have certainly not been static over time and he notes too that “the belief in intelligence as a fixed ability predetermined by your genes represents the thinking of the early 1900s but not of contemporary science” (2017, p. 153). So, within this context he’s taking our thinking and understanding on a new path. 

Sternberg is adamant that contemporary thinking around giftedness defines the construct with consideration of more than just intelligence. “Different theorists emphasize different elements, although cognitive abilities, achievement, motivation, and, sometimes, engagement with a particular area, are viewed as important in many of these theories” (2017, p. 154). He goes on to postulate that one way of considering how to identify giftedness is through contemplating the challenges and issues facing the contemporary world and he reflects that this was the process used at the time of Binet and influenced the increased understanding around the learning needs of children whose intellectual capacities were less than those of other students. Sternberg (2017, p. 154) says:

"In those days, that was a major challenge because of vast societal ignorance about and prejudice against children (and adults) with major challenges in their intellectual abilities. The task of educating such children remains daunting today, but society has made enormous strides in educating children with special needs since the time of Binet."  

So, Sternberg encourages us to consider the major challenges facing the world today. He suggests that society, and there’s an assumption that he means a contemporary, western-style society, has created a self-fulling prophecy around the capacity of an IQ test to predict success, and that IQ tests have become “proxies of socioeconomic status, so they continue the tradition of elevating to higher levels in society those who already are born at high levels” (2017, p. 156). He postulates that those people who achieve well on IQ tests are afforded opportunities not accessible to others, which then in turn allows them to further enhance their IQ since it is not a fixed construct and can change across time.

Sternberg’s 2016 text introduces the ACCEL model in the context of tertiary education, however he considers that it is equally, if not more applicable, in relation to gifted learners, including children (Sternberg, 2017). Sternberg makes no apologies for the largest assertion within his presentation on the ACCEL Model. He states:

"Intelligence tests are poor predictors of rational thinking…The ACCEL model recognizes that the greatest problem we have in our society is not a lack of leaders with high IQs or sterling academic credentials but rather a lack of transformational leaders who behave in ethical ways to achieve, over the long term as well as the short term, a common good for all (Sternberg, 2017 pp. 156-157)."

There is a long debate within the gifted education literature regarding the ‘responsibility’ of gifted individuals within society to contribute at a particular level, hold particular positions, or be community leaders…and so on. As with all debates, there are many arguments on both sides of this ‘fence’. Leaving that debate aside, and re-focussing on Sternberg’s thinking, he considers leadership to be:

"the path whereby one makes a positive, meaningful, and enduring difference to the world, at some level…That level may be the family, the community, the state, the nation, or many nations. Leaders, in this sense, are people who leave the world looking different from and better than it did before they were in it. Thus, in preparing ethical leaders, we are preparing people who will make a positive, meaningful, and enduring difference to the world at some level" (2017, p. 158). 

He argues:

One also might question why our gifted students should need to take on so much responsibility as leaders often assume. But when I speak of leadership, I speak of it at multiple levels. For me personally, the most important leadership role I ever have taken on is in my family. Many, if not most, of us seek to make a positive, meaningful, and enduring difference to our family. The quality of leadership, in the end, is more important than the level of leadership. Moreover, if we do not develop leadership skills in our gifted students, who is it exactly that we want to become our future leaders? (2017, p. 158). 

If you would like to read this article more fully, it is available from the Jasneath Education course downloads page.

Journal Activity: 

Let’s just press ‘pause’ for a moment while you grab your journal. Consider the following questions:

• What do you feel about Sternberg’s definition of leadership? Is it relevant/appropriate for today’s world?
• Consider the gifted learners in your world (even if that means considering yourself!). How do you feel about the responsibility to be this kind of leader – without of course mandating the level of leadership – perhaps we’re only talking about your immediate family, but maybe some other role that will benefit your community. We’re not necessarily aiming to become the next Prime Minister of Australia…
• Sternberg also highlights differences between ‘moral’ and ‘ethical’. He defines ‘moral’ based on fundamental issues of right and wrong, for example not committing murder. He reflects on the notion of ‘ethical leadership’, saying that at the heart of this style of leadership is a decision-making process that is “based on an ethical code…[including consideration of] what will be the right thing to do, based on a system of ethical reasoning and belief” (2017, p. 158). How do you feel about ethical leadership, as defined by Sternberg?

In considering these philosophical elements in Sternberg’s thinking, we also need to contemplate the characteristics, apart from the one determined by an IQ test, that would be required by leaders tasked with the job of ethical leadership. Sternberg (2017) offers four such characteristics: Critical or analytical thinking, creativity, common sense – or ‘practical intelligence’, and wisdom and ethics. Of course, identifying these skills/characteristics is only one part of the challenge. If they are indeed considered desirable and valuable, how do we develop these in learners of all ages…and then how do we measure them? These of course, need to be questions answered another time…and will no doubt feature in the gifted education literature into the future. 

Transformational Giftedness

The following section is the opening from my chapter in the Palgrave Handbook of Transformational Giftedness for Education (Harper, 2022, pp. 201-203) which was edited by Robert Sternberg, Don Ambrose, and Sareh Karami:

Utopia has been defined as “a perfect society in which people work well with each other and are happy” (Cambridge University Press, 2021). Pure fantasy? Well, perhaps; however, it is more than reasonable to consider that humanity can strive toward an existence that is considerably closer to that ideal than is presently the case – one where there is a fundamental respect and value for all peoples and the planet we inhabit. Of course, the million-dollar question is: How? The answer will always be embedded in human behaviors, which are governed by human beliefs and values. 

There are many examples from the 20th century where humanity has demonstrated less than ideal uses of its capabilities (Karami et al., 2020). One would hope that from these indictments there are changed behaviors into the future, perhaps as a result of our 20/20 retrospective vision. History and hindsight show us clearly that knowledge, intelligence, and power are not enough to ensure anything close to a Utopian future. Humanity is thankfully a rich kaleidoscope of peoples, each with individual needs, desires, abilities, and inclinations for their respective lives; and through this, we have hope for the future. 

As educators, we see learners who are passionate leaders, who care for humanity, who are developing ethical behaviors or may already have a strong sense of justice, and who are intent on making the world a better place for all. There may well also be people of all ages, not just those in our classrooms, who are more hidden - those who, for whatever reasons, don’t make their desires in this regard easily visible. How do we identify and support all these young people, including those who may be hidden? What are some of the key traits they may display? How do we identify the capacity of these individuals to participate in the transformation of our world, whether it be at a global, national, local, or community level? How does this relate to gifted education, to the young people identified as gifted, and to us as educators? 

Ambrose and Sternberg (2016), with colleagues, present two works focusing on the importance of creative intelligence in problem solving, particularly in consideration of both the larger challenges facing humanity as a global community; and the place of gifted education into the 21st century. These works advocate for a new approach, based on some stark realities of life in our present times, and the need for humanity to improve. Concurrently Sternberg (2016) introduced his Active Concerned Citizens and Ethical Leadership (ACCEL) model for universities, which evolved into a new method of identifying giftedness. Placing importance on factors beyond intelligence as measured by IQ tests, and engagement with this model, may help educators better equip gifted learners to engage with the future world (Sternberg, 2017). Through ACCEL, Sternberg advocates that a core goal of gifted education activities should be to support the development of 

"the next generation of active concerned citizens and ethical leaders (ACCEL)…[noting] that the greatest problem we have in our society is not a lack of leaders with high IQs or sterling academic credentials but rather a lack of transformational leaders who behave in ethical ways to achieve, over the long term as well as the short term, a common good for all" (2017, p. 157).

Underpinning the ACCEL model is the construct of wisdom, where an individual’s knowledge and skills are specifically used in transformational ways, through the inclusion of positive ethical values. From this foundation stems the conceptions of “transactional giftedness” and “transformational giftedness” that were introduced into the gifted education literature (Sternberg, 2020b, p. 231). Transformational giftedness is transformative. A transformationally gifted person will, at their core, be altruistic in motivation, and desire to make a positive, meaningful contribution toward the betterment of the world. A transactionally gifted individual can still, of course, make a positive contribution toward the greater good of humanity. Their motivation, however, will be rooted in a rewards-based system, whether that be, for example, personal accolades, remuneration, or appeasing a sense of obligation from previously being identified as ‘gifted’. Sternberg, in his chapter in this book, provides a list of eight transformationally gifted young people, all of whom are inspirational humans. He rightly points out that no one focusses on their IQ scores; and in fact, their IQs aren’t really relevant.  

The synthesis of this thinking displays an ideal vision - one where our planet’s future, and that of humanity, is guided by transformationally gifted leaders, and whose ethical actions are based in wisdom. Neither transactional nor transformational giftedness result from being born in a certain way; rather, the form of giftedness is shaped from the “interaction between a person and the forms of instruction, mentorship, role-modelling, and socialization the person receives during the course of their development” (Sternberg, 2020b, p. 231). This is not to suggest, however, that any gifted individual who is guided and mentored in a transformational manner will, indeed, adopt that mode of being. This ideal in turn, produces three fundamental questions:

• What is wisdom?
• What are the behaviors and characteristics associated with wisdom that may be displayed by our gifted learners; and 
• How else can we identify these learners and nurture these behaviors and characteristics as they develop?

If you would like to read the full chapter, it is available from the Jasneath Education course downloads page.

We'll consider the construct of wisdom in the next section.