ABSTRACT
In this chapter, an explanation of key features to be included in a definition of giftedness is followed by a review of the types of giftedness typically identified by school personnel and a summary of purposes for educating gifted students. Subsequent discussion of the developmental nature of giftedness and a rationale for viewing giftedness as a displayed behavior rather than a possessed trait leads to an explicit definition: the Three-Ring Conception of Giftedness. A definition of giftedness is a formal and explicit statement that might eventually become part of official policies or guidelines and should be used to direct identification and programming practices. The Three-Ring Conception of Giftedness outlines the main dimensions of human potential needed for creative productivity. A healthy aspect of renewed interest in the study of giftedness has been the emergence of new and innovative theories to explain giftedness and research studies with promise of greater insights and more defensible approaches to both identification and programming.
