The transition from childhood giftedness to adult creative productiveness: Psychological characteristics and social supports

The purpose of this article is to examine the sources of differences in motivation and other psychological characteristics, specifically the role of childhood environments, in engendering or promoting adult creative productive achievement. A model is presented in which it is proposed that the environmental conditions of creative producers result in responses that include the development of several key personality characteristics or coping strategies such as a preference for time alone, an ability to cope with high levels of anxiety or tension, freedom from conventionality, and the use of intellectual activities to fulfill emotional needs. The conditions in the environment often result from some kind of stress within the family, which is in part, a function of characteristics of the family, the broader context surrounding the family, and characteristics of the child.