The Impact of Emotional Intelligence on Gifted and Talented Students' Creative Problem-Solving Performance.

This study investigates the impact of emotional intelligence (EQ), as defined by the Bar-On model, on creative problem-solving (CPS) performance in creatively gifted students enrolled in a Science and Art Center (SAC) in Türkiye. Using the Bar-On Emotional Quotient Inventory: Youth Version (EQ-i: YV) to assess EQ and Basadur's CPS model to evaluate creativity across Problem Formulation, Solution Formulation, and Solution Implementation phases, the study found significant positive correlations between total EQ and CPS performance. EQ, particularly the Adaptability, Stress Management, and Interpersonal dimensions, strongly predicted creative problem-solving outcomes, especially during the Solution Implementation phase. These findings suggest that integrating emotional and social-emotional learning into gifted education may enhance the holistic development and creative capacities of gifted students, though further research with larger, diverse samples is recommended.