Subjective Well-Being in Giftedness: A Scoping Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1590/Keywords:
gifted, subjective well-being, quality of lifeAbstract
The area of giftedness is complex, involving various theories and approaches, often hindered by myths that affect identification and support processes. Gifted individuals face unique cognitive and emotional challenges. This scoping review sought to examine the quality of life and subjective well-being of gifted individuals. Empirical articles on the self-perception of gifted people regarding their quality of life and subjective well-being, published between 2012 and 2021, were included. Fourteen articles were selected, totaling a sample of 5,256 giftedness, predominantly adolescents. Most studies were conducted in the United States and focused on the participants’ subjective well-being. The results highlighted the importance of distinguishing the methods for identifying giftedness, emphasizing that advanced programs can positively impact subjective well-being by meeting the specific educational needs of these individuals.
Downloads
References
Bergold, S., Wirthwein, L., Rost, D. H., & Steinmayr, R. (2015). Are gifted adolescents more satisfied with their lives than their non-gifted peers? Frontiers in Psychology, 6, 1623. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01623
» https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01623
Bergold, S., Wirthwein, L., & Steinmayr, R. (2020). Similarities and differences between intellectually gifted and average-ability students in school performance, motivation, and subjective well-being. Gifted Child Quarterly, 64(4), 285-303. https://doi.org/10.1177/0016986220932533
» https://doi.org/10.1177/0016986220932533
Bernstein, B. O., Lubinski, D., & Benbow, C. P. (2021). Academic acceleration in gifted youth and fruitless concerns regarding psychological well-being: A 35-year longitudinal study. Journal of Educational Psychology, 113(4), 830-845. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000500
» https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000500
Carman, C. A. (2013). Comparing apples and oranges: Fifteen years of definitions of giftedness in research. Journal of Advanced Academics, 24(1), 52-70. https://doi.org/10.1177/1932202X12472602
» https://doi.org/10.1177/1932202X12472602
Casino-García, A. M., García-Pérez, J., & Llinares-Insa, L. I. (2019). Subjective emotional well-being, emotional intelligence, and mood of gifted vs. unidentified students: A relationship model. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(18), 3266. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16183266
» https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16183266
Chen, X., Fan, X., Cheung, H. Y., & Wu, J. (2018). The subjective well-being of academically gifted students in the Chinese cultural context. School Psychology International, 39(3), 291-311. https://doi.org/10.1177/0143034318773788
» https://doi.org/10.1177/0143034318773788
Diener, E., Diener, M., & Diener, C. (1995). Factors predicting the subjective well-being of nations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 69(5), 851-864. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.69.5.851
» https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.69.5.851
Diener, E., Suh, E. M., Lucas, R. E., & Smith, H. L. (1999). Subjective well-being: Three decades of progress. Psychological Bulletin, 125(2), 276-302. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.125.2.276
» https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.125.2.276
Downs, S. H., & Black, N. (1998). The feasibility of creating a checklist for the assessment of the methodological quality both of randomised and non-randomised studies of health care interventions. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 52(6), 377-384. https://doi.org/10.1136/jech.52.6.377
» https://doi.org/10.1136/jech.52.6.377
Eren, F., Omerelli Cete, A., Avcil, S., & Baykara, B. (2018). Emotional and behavioral characteristics of gifted children and their families. Noro Psikiyatri Arsivi, 55(2), 105-112. https://doi.org/10.5152/NPA.2017.12731
» https://doi.org/10.5152/NPA.2017.12731
Fang, L., Yuen, M., Fung, E., Zhang, J., Chan, S., & Wu, F. (2022). Life satisfaction of gifted and average adolescents in Hong Kong: Validation of the Chinese Brief Multidimensional Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale (BMSLSS). Applied Research in Quality of Life, 17(2), 751-761. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-021-09932-8
» https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-021-09932-8
Fleck, M. P. A., Louzada, S., Xavier, M., Chachamovich, E., Vieira, G., Santos, L., & Pinzon, V. (2000). Aplicação da versão em português do instrumento abreviado de avaliação da qualidade de vida “WHOQOL-bref” [Application of the Portuguese version of the abbreviated instrument of quality of life assessment WHOQOL-bref]. Revista de Saúde Pública, 34(2), 178-183. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0034-89102000000200012
» https://doi.org/10.1590/S0034-89102000000200012
França-Freitas, M. L. P., Del Prette, A., & Del Prette, Z. A. P. (2017). Habilidades sociais e bem-estar subjetivo de crianças dotadas e talentosas [Social skills and subjective well-being of gifted and talented children]. Psico-USF, 22(1), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1590/1413-82712017220101
» https://doi.org/10.1590/1413-82712017220101
Gardner, H. (1983). The frame of the mind: The theory of multiple intelligences. Basic Books.
González-Cabrera, J., Tourón, J., Machimbarrena, J. M., Gutiérrez-Ortega, M., Álvarez-Bardón, A., & Garaigordobil, M. (2019). Cyberbullying in gifted students: Prevalence and psychological well-being in a Spanish sample. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(12), 2173. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16122173
» https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16122173
Landis, J. R., & Koch, G. G. (1977). The measurement of observer agreement for categorical data. Biometrics, 33(1), 159-174. https://doi.org/10.2307/2529310
» https://doi.org/10.2307/2529310
Lang, M., Matta, M., Parolin, L., Morrone, C., & Pezzuti, L. (2019). Cognitive profile of intellectually gifted adults: Analyzing the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale. Assessment, 26(5), 929-943. https://doi.org/10.1177/1073191117733547
» https://doi.org/10.1177/1073191117733547
Lee, S.-Y., Matthews, M., Shin, J., & Kim, M.-S. (2020). Academically gifted adolescents’ social purpose. High Ability Studies, 31(1), 17-42. https://doi.org/10.1080/13598139.2018.1533452
» https://doi.org/10.1080/13598139.2018.1533452
Plominski, A. P., & Burns, L. R. (2018). An investigation of student psychological wellbeing: Honors versus nonhonors undergraduate education. Journal of Advanced Academics, 29(1), 5-28. https://doi.org/10.1177/1932202X17735358
» https://doi.org/10.1177/1932202X17735358
Pollet, E., & Schnell, T. (2017). Brilliant: But what for? Meaning and subjective well-being in the lives of intellectually gifted and academically high-achieving adults. Journal of Happiness Studies, 18(5), 1459-1484. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-016-9783-4
» https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-016-9783-4
Renzulli, J. S. (1986). The three-ring conception of giftedness: A developmental model for creative productivity. In R. J. Sternberg & J. E. Davidson (Eds.), Conceptions of giftedness (pp. 53-92). Cambridge University Press.
Sayler, M. F., Boazman, J., Natesan, P., & Periathiruvadi, S. (2015). Subjective well-being of gifted American college students: An examination of psychometric properties of the PWI-A. Gifted Child Quarterly, 59(4), 236-248. https://doi.org/10.1177/0016986215597748
» https://doi.org/10.1177/0016986215597748
Subotnik, R. F., Olszewski-Kubilius, P., & Worrell, F. C. (2011). Rethinking giftedness and gifted education: A proposed direction forward based on psychological science. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 12(1), 3-54. https://doi.org/10.1177/1529100611418056
» https://doi.org/10.1177/1529100611418056
The WHOQOL Group. (1995). The World Health Organization Quality of Life assessment (WHOQOL): Position paper from the World Health Organization. Social Science & Medicine, 41(10), 1403-1409. https://doi.org/10.1016/0277-9536(95)00112-k
» https://doi.org/10.1016/0277-9536(95)00112-K
Virgolim, A. (2018). Altas habilidades/superdotação: Processos criativos, afetivos e desenvolvimento de potenciais [Giftedness: Creative and affective processes and potential development]. Juruá.
Vötter, B., & Schnell, T. (2019). Cross-lagged analyses between life meaning, self-compassion, and subjective well-being among gifted adults. Mindfulness, 10(7), 1294-1303. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-018-1078-x
» https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-018-1078-x
Walker, C. L., & Shore, B. M. (2011). Theory of mind and giftedness: New connections. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 34(4), 644-668. https://doi.org/10.1177/016235321103400406
» https://doi.org/10.1177/016235321103400406
Wirthwein, L., & Rost, D. H. (2011). Giftedness and subjective well-being: A study with adults. Learning and Individual Differences, 21(2), 182-186. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2011.01.001
» https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2011.01.001
Zettergren, P., & Bergman, L. R. (2014). Adolescents with high IQ and their adjustment in adolescence and midlife. Research in Human Development, 11(3), 186-203. https://doi.org/10.1080/15427609.2014.936182
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Paidéia (Ribeirão Preto)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Regarding the availability of contents, Paideia adopts the Creative Commons License, CC-BY. With this licence anyone is allowed to copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format, as well as to remix, transform, and create from the material for any purpose, even commercial, giving the proper copyright credits to the journal, providing a link to the licence and indicating if changes have been made.
Partial reproduction of other publications
Quotations of more than 500 words, reproductions of one or more figures, tables or other illustrations must have written permission from the copyright holder of the original work for the reproduction specified in the Paidéia journal. Permission should be addressed to the author of the submitted manuscript. Secondarily obtained rights will not be transferred under any circumstance.
