A Meta-Analysis of Research on the Relationship Between Overexcitabilities and Giftedness.

This meta-analysis examined 230 effect sizes from 20 empirical studies to investigate the relationship between overexcitabilities (OEs)—a psychological construct from Dabrowski's Theory of Positive Disintegration—and giftedness. The analysis found a positive and significant association between giftedness and OEs overall, strongest for Intellectual OE and weakest for Emotional OE. However, the strength of this relationship varied notably depending on how giftedness was defined: it was strongest when based on prior identification as gifted, moderate when using a mix of ability and achievement criteria, and non-significant when defined solely by general intelligence or cognitive ability. Differences in OEs between gifted and non-gifted individuals were significant primarily among high school students, not among younger children or adults, and publication bias likely inflated effect sizes. The findings suggest caution in using OEs—especially emotional and sensual dimensions—as indicators for gifted identification or as foundational constructs for affective curricula targeting gifted students, given variability across age, gender, and cultural contexts.