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International Handbook on Giftedness pp 853–870Cite as

Multiple Giftedness in Adults: The Case of Polymaths

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Abstract

Creativity researchers often assert that specialization is a requirement for adult success, that skills and knowledge do not transfer across domains, and that the domain dependence of creativity makes general creativity impossible. The supposed absence of individuals who have made major contributions to multiple domains supposedly supports the specialization thesis. This chapter challenges all three legs of the specialization thesis. It describes individuals who have made major contributions to multiple domains; reviews prior literature demonstrating polymathy among creative adults; and presents data from an ongoing study of Nobel laureates in literature, science and economics that confirms this creativity–polymathy connection.

Keywords

  • Polymathy
  • Polymaths
  • Creativity
  • Specialization thesis
  • Domain dependence of creativity
  • General creativity
  • Multiple domains
  • Creative adults

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  1. Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA

    Robert Root-Bernstein

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  1. Département des sciences administratives Pavillon Lucien-Brault, Université du Québec en Outaouais, 101, rue Saint-Jean-Bosco, Case postale 1250, succursale Hull, J8X 3X7, Gatineau, Québec, Canada

    Larisa V. Shavinina

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Root-Bernstein, R. (2009). Multiple Giftedness in Adults: The Case of Polymaths. In: Shavinina, L.V. (eds) International Handbook on Giftedness. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-6162-2_42

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