Multipotentiality, Giftedness, and Career Choice: A Review

Abstract

The giftedness and career‐choice literatures have traditionally spoken in different terms about the same phenomenon, multipotentiality. Multipotentialed individuals have numerous and diverse abilities and interests. Appropriate interventions are necessary to help them cope successfully with the abundance of career choices available to them. This review links the giftedness and career‐choice literatures through a discussion of the concept of multipotentiality and explores ensuing practical implications and challenges to the overall idea.

La multiplicité des ancres de carrière chez les ingénieurs québécois

“…Trois autres niveaux décrivent des candidats ayant peu ou pas de problèmes avec la décision ou présentant un bon niveau de satisfaction, c'est-à-dire de faibles niveaux d'anxiété malgré leur temporaire indécision. En outre, dans leur recension des écrits sur la douance, Rysiew, Shore et Leeb (1999) …”

“It's What I Have Always Wanted to Do.” Advising the Foreclosure Student

“…Undecided students feeling this type pressure may make a premature and superficial choice. They often copy the choices of their peers, choose a major in which they feel certain to be successful, or select a program of study that will please significant others in their lives (Rysiew et al, 1999). One of our students, in a journal log for an introductory sociology class, captured this type of pressure with these words: ….I find that many of my friends and people in my classes, choose majors out of nowhere.…”

“…In addition to family members, significant others or the community at large offer social approval that contributes to foreclosure (Rysiew, Shore, & Leeb, 1999). Gifted students are often pressured by the community to enter "important" occupations such as physician, lawyer, engineer, or business leader (Greene, 2006).…”

“…Gifted students are often pressured by the community to enter "important" occupations such as physician, lawyer, engineer, or business leader (Greene, 2006). Young women have often been limited in their range of choices because of societal expectations to be "culture bearers" (Dignan, 1965;Petitpas, 1978;Rysiew et al, 1999). When students make premature commitments to socially acceptable career choices, the social approval that reinforced their choice often makes changing paths later doubly difficult as the person anticipates the loss of those reassuring expressions of approval and acceptance.…”

“…The term multipotentiality refers to the ability to perform a broad range of activities and skills with high levels of accomplishment and enjoyment; it is often considered characteristic of high ability students (Achter, Lubinki, & Benbow, 1996;Carduner, Padak, & Reynolds, 2011;Cross, 1997;Greene, 2006;Jordan & Blevins, 2009;Robinson, 1997;Rysiew, Shore, & Carson, 1994;Rysiew et al, 1999;Sajjadi, Rejskind, & Shore, 2001). Ironically, this reported multipotentiality in intellectually talented students can both cause identity foreclosure or help the foreclosed students achieve success.…”