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化妆品 http:/Giftedness:The Gift that Keeps on GivingIntroductionnStable versus unstable personal traits e.g.gender versus hair colornWhich is giftedness?nOften viewed as a childhood attributenThis reflected by a recent web searchnWhat are the results of googling?Google resultsn“gifted children”1,440,000 hits nversus post-childhood:“gifted adolescents”39,600 hitsn“gifted teenagers”1,670 hits“gifted adults”24,700 hits“gifted elderly”56 hits n“gifted senior citizens”8 hits Google resultsnand versus pre-childhood:“gifted babies”6,660 hits“gifted infants”540 hits“gifted zygotes”1 hitnthe latter some Jon Stewart quip!ArgumentnGiftedness can be a life-long traitThis developmental continuity is especially conspicuous when we look at the highest levels of giftednesse.g.,top 1%rather than top 10%Superlative Performance ThresholdAGETop 10%Top 1%PERFORMANCEFrom Conception to ReputationnGenetic conceptionnGestationnInfancynChildhoodnAdolescencenAdulthoodnDeathnPosthumous reputationGenetic conceptionGenetic conceptionnIt all begins with the“gifted zygote”nGaltons 1869 Hereditary GeniusnModern behavioral genetics:Giftedness is most likelymulti-polygenic(many polygenic traits)emergenic(multiplicative/configurational)epigenetic(unfolds over time)nIn short,a complex,dynamic processGestationGestationnIntrauterine environmentne.g.,Geschwinds theory elevated testosterone after 20th weeknright left posterior hemisphere growthngiftedness/savantismmathematical abilityartistic/spatial abilitymusical abilitynSimon Baron-Cohen:“extreme male brain”InfancyInfancynThe Developmental“Dark Ages”Early developmental signposts not always indicative of later giftednessand may even be counter-indicative(e.g.,delayed speech)nSo when do the Dark Ages end?nWhats the earliest age at which the gift begins to manifest itself?Fagan Test of Infant IntelligencenAttention to novelty at 6-12 months predicts adult IQacademic achievementnbut this assessment concerns general intelligence(Spearmans g)nWhat about more domain-specific indicators?Cox(1926)301 GeniusesnJeremy Bentham:English jurist and utilitarian philosopher(early IQ 180)Learned alphabet before talking At 3 began classical education when father buys a Latin grammar;same age read Rapins History of England Feldman/Goldsmith(1986/2000)6 prodigiesna child who read music before he was four,ntwo children who played winning chess before they entered school,nanother who studied abstract algebra in grade school,na youngster who produced typed scripts of original stories and plays before his fifth birthday,and na child who read,wrote,began learning foreign languages,and composed short musical pieces before he was out of diapers.Winner(1996):Gifted ChildrennMichael Kearneyspeak at 4 months;read at 8 months;algebra on own at age 3nKyLee Henchfascinated with letters&numbers at 1.5 mental arithmetic at 2playing math computer games by 3SMPY(Julian Stanley et al.)nTerry Tao:Fields Medal recipienttaught himself to read before 2;using portable typewriter before 2.5;solved math problems typical of 8-year olds by 3.ChildhoodChildhoodnDark Ages rarely end before ages 2-3,nand more commonly end at the age of a late preschooler or kindergartnerneven Mozart didnt begin composing until 5(with fathers help)nand J.S.Mill didnt write his first book(a history of Rome)until 6.5(juvenilia)ChildhoodnDuring this age period various environmental factors kick innincludingBirth order(not prenatal!)Traumatic,enriching,and diversifying eventsDomain-specific role models and mentors,andExpertise acquisition(10-year rule)nthat affect the type and degree of giftednessnThe“gift”as a nature-nurture collaborationAdolescenceAdolescencenAlthough the previously mentioned factors continue to nurture growth,nthe gifted youth can also be led astray from the path of optimal development:nPeer groups become especially critical during this phasene.g.,Csikszentmihalyi et al.s(1993)Talented teenagers AdulthoodAdulthoodnThe Great Transformation from Input to OutputPotential to Actual AchievementGiftedness to GeniusAdulthoodnAccelerated career onsetAbbreviated expertise acquisition(10 years)Early achievement(viz.1st“hit”in 20s)nExceptional productivity or output(e.g.,Napoleon,Edison,Picasso,Mozart)nHigh impact(e.g.,disciples,honors)nLong,productive careernEarly-+late-bloomers long-bloomersnHence,last testaments,old-age style shifts,swan-songsExamplesnCervantes:nDon Quixote,nPart II,nage 68,ndied age 69ExamplesnGalileo:nTwo New Sciences,nage 74,ndied age 78ExamplesnGoethe:nFaust,Part II,nage 83,ndied age 83ExamplesnVerdi:nFalstaff,nage 85,ndied age 88DeathDeathnLife expectancy as contingent on achievement domainnExamples:Mathematicians versus BiologistsPoets versus NovelistsMilitary versus Political LeadersRevolutionary versus Status Quo PoliticiansnPrecocity negative impact on longevityGeniusAge 1st masterworkAge at deathArriaga(music)1820Galois(math)2020Chatterton(poetry)1617Posthumous reputationPosthumous reputationnEventual eminence is a direct function of lifetime achievement,nwhich is most often defined by the quality and quantity of output or impactnAs a result,the highest degrees of eminence are consistent across space and stable through time Hence nGiftedness can becomenthe gift that keeps on giving!neven longer lasting than
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