The aim of this study is to provide -- first theoretically and, subsequently, through an empirical analysis -- a rationale for including the concept of overexcitability in talent research, beyond the five-factor model personality traits. Moreover, the empirical part of this study makes use of an innovative statistical method to address the problem…

Openness to experience is a personality factor in the five-factor model of personality, and it is composed of six facets. Facets of openness appear conceptually analogous to overexcitabilities (OEs), which are displays of inner energy guiding individuals toward advanced potential according to the theory of positive disintegration. This study…

This study examined the relationship among subtypes of perfectionism and achievement goal orientations within the context of Gaudreau and Thompson's quadripartite framework. The authors first sought to replicate Campbell and Di Paula's factor analysis to identify subtypes of self-oriented perfectionism (SOP) and socially prescribed perfectionism…

Implicit theories can influence learning behavior, the approaches individuals take to learning and performance situations, and the learning goals individuals set, as well as, indirectly, their accomplishments, intelligence, and creativity. For this cross-cultural study, Kenyan and German students were asked to draw a creative person and rate it on…

This study assessed differences in Parker's typology of perfectionism (healthy perfectionist, unhealthy perfectionist, and nonperfectionist). We compared the results from previous research with follow-up 2005 and 2010 data collected from highly gifted Czech mathematicians aged 12 to 16 years. The study examined whether the same three…

The Overexcitability Questionnaire-Two (OEQII) is a quantitative instrument for assessing overexcitabilities as they are described in Dabrowski's theory of positive disintegration. This article uses multigroup confirmatory factor analysis to examine the measurement invariance of OEQII scores across genders. Results indicate that raw OEQII scores…

This study examined relationships between five personal traits and adolescents' creative activities and accomplishments in five domains--music, visual arts, creative writing, science, and technology. Participants were 439 tenth graders (220 males and 219 females) in China. The relationships were examined using confirmatory factor analysis.…

This study aimed to identify factors that influence acts of altruism among gifted female adolescents in Singapore within the context of their overseas learning experiences. Ten teacher-nominated gifted adolescents from ages 15 to 17 who had exceeded the mandated hours (12 hours per year) of voluntary community service in their school were the…

Two alternative means of assessing overexcitability were examined: questionnaires and interviews. Administration of both forms to 46 gifted adolescents and preadolescents obtained similar results for 4 of 5 forms of overexcitability, but correlations between questionnaire and interview scores were too low to consider the methods equivalent for…

This brief paper offers guidelines on recognizing giftedness in young children based on a study of the developmental characteristics of 77 gifted and average children as reported in parent questionnaires. The questionnaire asked parents to describe their children's development during the first 36 months. Major findings indicated that: parents of…

A Likert style questionnaire consisting of 60 adjectives was administered to 451 undergraduates from Beijing, Guangzhou, Taipei, and Hong Kong. Results show the core characteristics of creativity that were identical in all the samples are originality, innovativeness, thinking and observation skills, flexibility, willingness to try, self…

Using data from personality adjustment questionnaires, 15 regular class children were compared to their gifted program siblings and to a group placed in gifted programs along with their siblings. Results suggested that the subgroup perceived by parents as less gifted than their siblings may be more prone to personality adjustment problems.…