Cognitive and Executive Function Variability in Gifted Children: A Psychometric Analysis of Clinical Assessment Data

The connection between identification of ‘gifted’ children and the specficity of under- standing gained from this classification in the European and specifically Italian context still requires refinement. This issue often stems from a mismatch between the popular view of ’giftedness’ as a single, uniform label and the complex reality revealed by clinical psychometric testing. While the public often expects a consistent profile of high ability, clinical indices show varied cognitive strengths. This discrepancy results in inconsistent engagement with identification and support services. In order to aid in the differentiation, the current thesis aims at exploring the extent of idiosyncrasy of profiles (whether a cohesive singular profile or dual internal split) within a sample of children from a single Italian clinic classified as gifted using the WISC-V. Findings in this sample point towards some evidence of heterogeneity within the gifted population, as opposed to shared pattern or differences in average level-only aspects, however are limited by constraints of analysing a necessarily small sample due to the nature of ‘giftedness’ itself. A one vs two-profile distinction within this sample is ultimately rejected for the two-profile, notwithstanding mixed results and the presence of some unstable evidence suggesting otherwise. By understanding more about what makes up the current classification criteria for giftedness this study advocates for evidence-based recommendations at home and in school. These informed strategies based on a further understanding of the profile of a gifted individual ensures children are provided with environments specifically tailored to nurture their unique strengths and fulfil their full potential.The dataset includes assessments from gifted children evaluated with the WISC-V, KABC-II, and Tower of London, collected as part of routine clinical referrals. Using Latent Profile Analysis, the project will examine whether stable and reproducible cognitive-executive patterns emerge within this population, and whether giftedness as conventionally defined maps onto a distinct latent profile or instead encompasses considerable heterogeneity.