ABSTRACT
The basic idea is that knowing what a person can do is only one part of the equation; another important component is knowing what he/she will do or would like to do. The historical and basic science underpinnings of our current model of talent development can be found in Lubinski, the educational philosophy in Benbow and Stanley, and the theory in Lubinski and Benbow. The nature and organization of cognitive abilities and educational-vocational preferences are the two primary individual differences that SMPY uses in its framework for modeling differential learning rates, preferences for contrasting content, and anticipating future accomplishments and creative achievements among the intellectually precocious as a function of their individuality. It is evident that just as the wings of a flying bird are supported by the air beneath, the SMPY model is supported by solid empiricism.
