Emotional Processing of Gifted Children: An Unresolved Matter

Abstract

Recent studies have demonstrated the strong influence emotions have on the holistic growth of children with conventional development. Moreover, there is an increasing body of evidence suggesting that the affective-emotional component could play a major role in the cognitive and psychological wellbeing of children and adolescents with nonstandard development or atypical skills. In this regard, in the current opinion article we discuss the likelihood that the affective-emotional component is one of the definitory elements of gifted children and teenagers showing high intellectual capacities. While some authors claim that intellectual giftedness is associated with strong social-emotional capacities and relate high intellectual ability with the acquisition and development of techniques to compensate for potential psycho-social issues, other authors suggest that gifted children are potentially more vulnerable and have additional social-emotional needs as compared with their peers. The current uncertainty in the literature is a barrier to adequately inform and orient psychological and educational actions, and empirical data is required to fully comprehend the genuine meaning of giftedness and its relationship with emotional processing.