The Mad Genius Stereotype

Giftedness is a social construct and depends on cultural, historical, and social contexts. There is no universally acknowledged definition of giftedness, and it can be defined in different dimensions and approaches such as potential vs. achievement, status vs. development, uni- vs. multidimensionality, and qualitative or quantitative differences. The definition of giftedness depends on the purpose of the definition, and scientific theories aim to identify measurable characteristics of the gifted, while laypeople rely on subjective theories based on personal and media experiences.