Dissociation and integration of talent development and personal growth: Comments and suggestions

This article is a response to Grant and Piechowski’s (1999) article regarding the tension between two aspects of gifted education: talent development and personal growth. We believe that dissociation of these two aspects is conditional, not a constant state of affairs. We identify those contingencies and processes that are responsible for the dissociation. We also believe that integration of these two perspectives is not only possible, but crucial for the well-rounded development of persons who have been the targeted populations of special services for the gifted and talented. One way to achieve this integration is to reconceptualize talent, achievement/success, and productivity in a way that illuminates the intrinsic connections between talent development and personal growth.