Originally Posted by primatologica
hothousing versus innate giftedness.

The articles by Carol Bainbridge (linked in a previous post on this thread) are pretty definitive.

Here is a link to the "Tiger Mom" article by Amy Chua regarding her 2011 book: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704111504576059713528698754.html
Some say this parenting style is cultural due to extreme poverty/competition in certain countries.

Some want to redefine giftedness so that it does not reflect a way of being, something one may or may not exhibit early on, but rather takes into account one's accomplishments, expertise, excellence, level of achievement, eminence. This concept of gifted may be a good fit for Tiger Moms and hothousing practices but may serve a different population than the child who is an intrinsically curious, internally motivated, over-the-top maker of unique and creative connections and who is typically underserved in schools... the child who is difficult to keep up with, one who keeps you on your toes.

For a look at a gifted child who is not hothoused, here is a link to Stephanie Tolan's metaphor, "Is it a Cheetah?": http://www.stephanietolan.com/is_it_a_cheetah.htm