ABSTRACT
The paths of development of talented people begin to diverge in high school and college; that is, they begin to take on the characteristics of career development within certain fields. Prior knowledge is an important factor in how high-scoring talented youth process information. The cognitive skill of memory is also different between verbally and mathematically talented youth. Most students who choose to enter science in college and graduate school are seen as possessing "world class talent". Fewer students plan to major in engineering, which is a typical bastion for the gifted and talented. People with verbal ability have less sculpted paths than do those with science and math talent. People with verbal abilities are both writers and speakers. Some are good at both; others are good at one or the other. The professions that require verbal ability are fewer than those that require spatial ability, for example.
