Understanding the Interplay of Psychosocial Competencies in Talent Development: Typologies and Differences for Gifted Students

ABSTRACT The study examined the relationship between implicit theories of intelligence and psychosocial competencies (measured as adaptability, general mood, intrapersonal skills, interpersonal skills, and stress management), the differences in these competencies between gifted students and nonidentified gifted students, and typologies of these variables among 81 gifted students in grades 6–8. Findings indicated that malleable beliefs about intelligence were related to adaptability, general mood, and to a small degree total emotional intelligence. Gifted students had higher scores on adaptability (d = .51) compared to a normative sample and lower scores on intrapersonal skills (d = −.30). Hierarchical cluster and discriminant function analyses yielded three distinct clusters indicating within-group differences, with Cluster 1 showing lowest scores on all measured scales. Findings imply how the interplay of psychosocial variables facilitates talent development.