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Giftedness in adults

Gifted adults' intelligence

Giftedness in adults corresponds to a particular intellectual efficiency, much higher than the average intellectual efficiency of adults the same age. Giftedness is confirmed by an intelligence test, the Wais-IV. This test is used for adults (aged 16 to 79 years and 11 months old).

Giftedness in adults

A gifted adult usually has an IQ score which is above 130.

Giftedness can be considered as a talent which can be expressed... or not. This means that some intellectually gifted adults do not have an IQ score as high as 130. For example, some gifted children get bored at school, become withdrawn, introverted. Their involvement at school decreases, which can have a negative effect on the IQ score. When they become adult, their IQ score can be below 130. Thus personality characteristics are sometimes what permits to detect intellectual giftedness.

Gifted adults' personality

Giftedness in adults

Gifted adults and gifted children share with many cognitive and psychological characteristics:

  • A great creativity,
  • A specific, emotional, sensory, intellectual reactivity,
  • Hypersensitivity,
  • Perfectionism,
  • Anxiety that is the consequence of the substential gap with others.

How should one deal with intellectual giftedness?

Psychological assessment highlights the intellectual efficiency and the cognitive and psychological characteristics of the gifted person. It is then possible for the clinical psychologist to give advice so that giftedness becomes the precious asset it should always have been and stops being a source of suffering.