The research group “Experimental and applied behaviour analysis” of the Faculty of Psychology of the Universidad de Granada has detected that the factor that sets extremely gifted children apart from the others is connected with their capacity to acquire knowledge in any context. This conclusion goes beyond the classis theories which base extremely gifted intelligence exclusively in the intelligence quotient.
The traditional studies that limit the concept of extremely gifted intelligence to the high marks in intelligence tests sometimes mistake extremely gifted children for those enriched by the environment, this is, those who have been very stimulated by their parents. Such tests only determine the level of actual execution, which can be determined by determinants like training.
The professor in charge for the research work, María Dolores Calero García, and her team, have established a series of psychological tests to determine the factors that distinguish extremely gifted children. The scientists have determined that the flexibility, self-control, learning ability and personal maturity are the defining characteristics of extremely gifted children.
Flexibility is connected with the adaptation to unexpected changes, answering different daily situations. In the case of self-control, it is the control of the own learning process. Extremely gifted children modulate their way of dealing with a task and do not allow themselves to get distracted.
To obtain these results, psychologists assessed first those children who had been identified as extremely gifted. They used learning potential tests, cognitive flexibility methods, work memory measures as well as techniques to quantify self-control and motivational control. Next, the experts used intelligence and performance traditional tests. After that, the scientists applied these tests to children with a normal intelligence.
With the experience obtained from this research work, professor Calero champions a program for school enrichment for extremely gifted children, but without separating them from their classmates and starting from the syllabus of their respective year. The research team is working on didactic guides for extremely gifted children.
Reference
Professor María Dolores Calero García
Dpt of Personality, Assessment and Psychological Treatment
Phone number. 958 243 754 / 958 244 251. E-mail. mcalero@ugr.es
