1985_Comparison of Intellectually and Artistically Gifted on Five Dimensions of Mental Functioning

Compared overexcitability profiles in (1) 23 18–59 yr olds active in art, music, literature, or other artistic fields; (2) 37 intellectually gifted 22–55 yr olds; and (3) 42 22–50 yr old graduate students, using a 21-item, free-response questionnaire. Five broadly defined areas of psychic life were measured by the instrument: personal level of energy, sensual aliveness, the pursuit of knowledge and truth, imagination, and the life of feeling. A model predicted that the strength, richness, and depth of talent would be a function of the 5 measured dimensions. Analysis showed that intellectual talent tended to be associated with 3 dimensions (intellectual, imaginational, and emotional), while artistic talent tended to be associated with high scores on all 5 dimensions (especially on imaginational and emotional). In contrast, graduate students had lower scores on all 5 dimensions.