Social and Emotional Development of Students With Gifts and Talents

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the social and emotional development of students with gifts and talents by illustrating the relationship between characteristics and their interaction in different contexts. All students must grapple with these psychosocial crises as described by Erikson. The development of a personal value system is a primary task of personality development and is called multilevelness. A multilevel personality has an internal, hierarchical system of values that gives certain options higher values than others. The Theory of Positive Disintegration explains how and why this development occurs. Developmental potential explains why some people reach multilevelness and others do not. High developmental potential has three characteristics: special abilities and talents, certain overexcitabilities, and a strong drive to be autonomous. Personality is an enduring, relatively stable endogenous characteristic. Educators of gifted children may expect a greater likelihood of introversion among their students.