Identity and Career Development in Gifted Adolescents

The process of identity formation in adolescents is impacted by identification as gifted, just as it draws on gender, race, faith, and other personal traits. An understanding of this interaction supports more effective guidance of youth to healthier careers and lives. This chapter brings together foundational theories in identity and career development with international scholarship surrounding giftedness to inform practice. Attention is given to the role of culture in identity formation and the emerging power of artificial intelligence as an “identity agent.” Gifted adolescents care about the future and their place in it. Teachers, counselors, and psychologists who work with such students hold both power and responsibility for supporting identity.