Contemporary concepts of exceptional giftedness and its development: A way to harmonize social perceptions, and enhance institutional treatment and self-perception

Abstract

If we view the civilizational development through the prism of the socio-historical continuum, it seems that we must agree with the claim that the gifted and talented are the creators of the general development of civilizations. This trend continues today, when it is claimed that in the next 20 years, the talented and gifted will inevitably be the most important asset in every institution, especially in contemporary companies. Most of these individuals are believed to perform cognitive tasks at higher mental levels, in which metacognitive thinking that is dominant. This thinking forms a special mental structure, recognizable in such individuals. This paper operates under the assumption that, there is no clearcut picture of the psychological profile of the exceptionally talented with their awe-inspiring performances of their extraordinary abilities which impress the world. Their impressive and fascinating achievements in one or more areas of human life motivate them to be more involved in the world of today. Hence, papers that deal with both theoretical and empirical findings often face a variety of dilemmas and problems regarding the demystification of the psychological code of the exceptionally talented in various scientific and artistic fields. The focus of this paper are the talented and the factors which determine their "superhuman achievements". This paper strives to identify the psycho-physical features of the exceptionally talented and their noteworthy performance in various fields - performance that is often referred to as exceptional or expert-like. The aim is to identify the different traits that exceptionally talented individuals working in different fields and arts (science, sports, music, etc.) have. The paper uses the meta-analysis of documentation method, which enables an objective insight into the most significant performances of the exceptionally talented. The results obtained through this method show that the exceptionally talented show a clear, distinctive psychological pattern or. The results obtained reflect a recognizable psychological cod which is unique and specific to those at the pedestal of great achievements. The results will be especially useful for the harmonization of the social view of talent and for the institutional treatment of the talented individuals. Finally, it will improve the talented individuals' self-perception which will positively impact their self-perception which is of great importance for their further educational, psychological and social perception.