Creativity, a core 21st-century competency, is widely recognized as essential in gifted education but is often overshadowed in practice by a focus on academic and intellectual metrics, limiting the identification and nurturing of creative potential. This study examines the influence of emotional intelligence (EQ), defined by the Bar-On model, on creative problem-solving (CPS) performance in gifted and talented students. Seven creatively gifted students from a Science and Art Center in Türkiye-identified for exceptional potential in biology-participated. EQ was assessed using the Bar-On EQ-i:YV, covering Intrapersonal, Interpersonal, Adaptability, and Stress Management dimensions. CPS performance was evaluated across Problem Formulation, Solution Formulation, and Solution Implementation phases over five sessions, yielding a Composite Creativity score for fluency and flexibility. Non-parametric analyses (Spearman’s rho, Theil-Sen regression) revealed significant positive correlations between Total EQ and CQ scores across all CPS phases. Furthermore, EQ strongly predicted CPS performance, accounting for a moderate portion of the variance in Problem Formulation, a larger portion in Solution Formulation, and a particularly significant portion in Solution Implementation. Specific EQ dimensions like Adaptability demonstrated consistent influence, while Interpersonal and Stress Management skills were particularly critical in the Solution Implementation phase. Despite the small sample, the results underscore the value of integrating EQ and social-emotional learning into gifted education to support the holistic development of creatively gifted students. Future research should examine larger samples and individual EQ dimensions to deepen understanding of this relationship.
Akdeniz et al. (Wed,) studied this question.