title: When Lightning Strikes Twice: Profoundly Gifted, Profoundly Accomplished.
abstract: The educational, occupational, and creative accomplishments of the profoundly gifted participants (IQs ⩾ 160) in the Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth (SMPY) are astounding, but are they representative of equally able 12-year-olds? Duke University's Talent Identification Program (TIP) identified 259 young adolescents who were equally gifted. By age 40, their life accomplishments also were extraordinary: Thirty-seven percent had earned doctorates, 7.5% had achieved academic tenure (4.3% at research-intensive universities), and 9% held patents; many were high-level leaders in major organizations. As was the case for the SMPY sample before them, differential ability strengths predicted their contrasting and eventual developmental trajectories-even though essentially all participants possessed both mathematical and verbal reasoning abilities far superior to those of typical Ph.D. recipients. Individuals, even profoundly gifted ones, primarily do what they are best at. Differences in ability patterns, like differences in interests, guide development along different paths, but ability level, coupled with commitment, determines whether and the extent to which noteworthy accomplishments are reached if opportunity presents itself.
authors.affiliation: Talent Identification Program, Duke University.
authors.forename: Matthew C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Makel
authors.affiliation: Academic & Workforce Readiness & Success, Research & Development, Educational Testing Service, Princeton, New Jersey.
authors.forename: Harrison J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kell
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University david.lubinski@vanderbilt.edu.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lubinski
authors.affiliation: Talent Identification Program, Duke University.
authors.forename: Martha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Putallaz
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University.
authors.forename: Camilla P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Benbow
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001076:Aptitude / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D002672:Child, Gifted; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006803:Human Development / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D066270:Social Capital
keywords: blink comparator; creativity; giftedness; intelligence; replication