The Three-Ring Conception of Giftedness

This chapter focuses on The Three-Ring Conception of Giftedness appeared in a 1978 edition of the Kappan. It provides a description of the major theoretical issues underlying various conceptions of giftedness, an overview of the Three-Ring Conception of Giftedness, some of the research that led to the initial development of the theory, and a brief description of research carried out in places that have used this model. One of the first and most important issues that should be dealt with in a search for the meaning of giftedness is that there must be a purpose for defining this concept. A major issue that must be dealt with is that our present efforts to define giftedness are based on a long history of studies dealing with human abilities. The Three-Ring Conception of Giftedness is a theory that attempts to portray the main dimensions of human potential for creative productivity.