Creative Problem Solving: Integrating Intellectual Giftedness and Creative Giftedness Within and Across Diverse Domains

Abstract

The purpose of this article was to revisit the definition, design, and research on creativity, intelligence, and problem solving published in Gifted Education International in 1993 and updated in 2021. In this integrative approach, the focus is on problem solving processes and products in varied domains, and labeled exceptional talent to emphasize the difference between this and traditional conceptions of giftedness. Exceptional talent consists of three components (problem solving, 21st Century skills, and knowledge structure) that interact with each other and the environment throughout life; thus, the term assessment is more appropriate than identification, which implies a static level of talent. Research leading to the definition now proposed was presented, leading to recommendations (based on research over the past 30+ years) for recognizing and developing exceptional talent in solving all types of problems creatively: those usually considered indicators of intellectual ability and those usually considered indicators of creative ability.