Buscar

In Sweden, special needs of high-ability individuals have received little attention. For this purpose, adult Swedes with superior general mental ability (GMA; N = 302), defined by an IQ score > 130 on tests of abstract reasoning, answered a questionnaire regarding their views of themselves and their giftedness. The participants also rated their self-theory of intelligence and completed the Sense of Coherence Scale (SOC-13). At large, the participants experienced being different but felt little need to downplay their giftedness to gain social acceptance. Most participants encompassed an entity self-theory of intelligence, while also recognizing that it takes effort to develop one’s ability. The group scored lower ( p < .001) than Swedes in general on the SOC, which may be a reflection of social difficulties associated with being gifted in an egalitarian society. However, it may also indicate that the SOC carries a different meaning for those with superior GMA. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)

This study investigated whether intellectually gifted students in Australia, with different levels of giftedness and cultural orientations, had different experiences of the forced-choice dilemma—choosing between the needs for peer acceptance and academic achievement. A random sample of 231 intellectually gifted students attending secondary school completed and returned a self-report questionnaire. The data were analyzed using factor analysis and multiple regression analysis. The study found some support for the hypothesis that level of intellectual giftedness was positively related to the experience of the forced-choice dilemma. It was also shown that those with medium-level vertical allocentric orientations toward the family were likely to be the most vulnerable to the phenomenon. Intellectually gifted male adolescents, intellectually gifted students in early adolescence, and intellectually gifted students with peers of different cultural backgrounds were additional groups identified as being at risk. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)

Due to the crucial role of competition in advanced performance, musically gifted students are more likely to experience competitive conditions compared with students in regular classes. However, there is a surprising paucity of research on the relationships between competition and musical giftedness. Through a research design of a qualitative multi-case study, this study explored the daily experiences of seven musically gifted Taiwanese adolescent males enrolled in competitive gifted music classes. The data collection activities involved in-depth interviews, document review, observation of participants’ musical performances, phone conversations with participants’ teachers and parents, and participation in identification and placement meetings. After analyzing the rich data, five competition-related themes emerged, namely, tacit competition in music achievement, utilitarian training, feelings of inadequacy, denial of natural giftedness in most of their classmates, and critical comparisons made by parents and teachers. The findings and implications are discussed with the intent of meeting the educational needs of musically gifted students. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)

This article focuses on the education for the gifted students. The very subject of giftedness is fraught with contradiction and controversy. Greater focus has recently been placed on underprepared students who enter public schools only to be passed from grade to grade, often condemned to join the one third of their classmates who drop out before receiving a high-school diploma. A nation’s standard of living depends heavily upon the ability of its citizens to compete for quality jobs. A survey on the current status of research on giftedness and gifted education suggests that abilities can be enhanced through development, different talents develop at different rates and must be addressed accordingly, and that young people need psychological strength training to help them succeed. Ability is developed by motivation and the combination of motivation and ability, and the pursuit of targeted opportunities is unbeatable. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

This paper discusses issues relevant to gifted children’s readiness for school. It raises a number of questions that challenge thinking about what is meant by school readiness. Gifted children can often be ready for school entrance before the age traditionally considered appropriate. Their complex developmental profiles challenge accepted notions of school readiness. Questions and issues pertaining to how giftedness is defined and nurtured, determination of social-emotional readiness for school, and development of giftedness across the life span are considered for their educational implications. Findings from developmental psychology on transition points in development, predictability of intelligence, and motivation to learn are presented as a framework for thinking about educational policy and practice that best support young children with learning profiles that include advanced levels of development. Questions raised also constitute directions for research on a topic that lacks a solid research base. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)

The low academic performance in gifted individuals is a complex phenomenon that has been observed and reported by teachers, experts and researchers for over three decades. Although this definition does not meet a full consensus, it aggregates all the elements that make up this apparently antagonistic reality. The definition of low performance, underachievement in English, emphasizes the discrepancy between the potential (skills) and the performance (achievement), particularly within the school context. The main objective of this article is to present theoretical and empirical contributions that support the study of the phenomenon of giftedness under the perspective of special people, namely gifted underachievers. Some elements related to the concept of giftedness are highlighted, and characteristics of gifted students, from Elementary and Secondary school level, are listed. Next, definitions of underachievement and characteristics of gifted underachiever are presented, as well as some related factors associated with this condition are outlined. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)

This paper examines giftedness and gifted education from the point of view of humanistic ethical critique. While religious worldviews may conceptualize individual talent as something that human beings have received (as a “gift”) from God or (more generally) from a divine world-order, secular humanism may also implicitly presuppose a quasi-theological understanding of giftedness as something for which we might be expected to maintain a proper attitude of gratitude. Drawing on humanistic sources ranging from Hannah Arendt’s concept of natality, Richard Rorty’s pragmatist challenge to the idea of human “answerability” to the world, and Primo Levi’s ethical criticism (in the context of his Holocaust writings) of the notion of providence, the paper argues that developing an appropriate stance toward whatever gifts and talents individuals may have is a matter of continuous ethical self-reflection that needs to be incorporated in gifted education. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)

This work systematically reviewed past literature to investigate the association between intellectual giftedness and socio-emotional and/or behavioral disorders. Nineteen studies met the inclusion criteria, 17 of which have children and/or adolescents as participants, and 12 have a non-gifted control group. Socio-emotional problems, such as withdrawal, were found in 3 out of 8 studies; internalizing disorders, such as anxiety, were found in 5 out of 9; externalizing disorders, such as hyperactivity, were found in 3 out of 5. The most investigated comorbidity was attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. A univocal conclusion on the relationship between intellectual giftedness and socio-emotional/behavioral problems cannot be drawn, principally because of the heterogeneity of participants’ age, informants, and instruments. The review highlights the need for future studies to use multi-informant and comprehensive assessments, to reach more robust findings, and suggests that age and discrepancy between verbal and non-verbal intellectual abilities should be considered critical factors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)

The assessment of intellectual giftedness is often based on intelligence tests. In order to estimate the consistencies of the identification of intellectually gifted adolescents with three different intelligence tests, a sample of 9 th graders ( N = 562) worked on three conceptually similar intelligence tests assessing figural reasoning. The correlations of the three intelligence tests were of medium to high effect size. Regarding the interpretation of the diagnostic results, the diagnostic conclusion (“gifted” or “not-gifted”) based on the different test results was only partially consistent. The implications of the results are discussed regarding the relevance of test-specific diagnoses of intellectual giftedness. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract) Resumen en idioma originalIm Zuge einer Diagnostik intellektueller Hochbegabung werden zumeist Intelligenztests eingesetzt. Um abzuschätzen, inwieweit das diagnostische Fazit („hochbegabt“ vs. „nicht hochbegabt“) bei der Verwendung mehrerer Intelligenztests vom spezifisch eingesetzten Intelligenztest abhängt, wurden die korrelativen und klassifikatorischen Übereinstimmungen von drei konzeptionell ähnlichen Testverfahren zum figuralen reasoning (CFT 20-R, KFT-N, SPM) anhand einer größeren Stichprobe ( N = 562; 9. Klassenstufe) ermittelt. Trotz mindestens mittelhoher Testinterkorrelationen stimmte das diagnostische Fazit „hochbegabt“ nur zum Teil überein. Insbesondere die Implikationen für die diagnostische Praxis werden diskutiert. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)

Creativity, giftedness, and leadership are complex, important phenomena, especially in the threatening turbulence of 21st-century conditions; consequently, there is an increasing need to understand how to strengthen them. We can learn much about these phenomena from within the borders of specialized disciplines; however, they are too complex and multifaceted to fit within the walls of disciplinary silos. Interdisciplinary explorations can reveal theories and research findings that expand our knowledge bases about creativity, giftedness, and leadership. This analysis includes the rationale for engaging in interdisciplinary investigations for these purposes. It includes examples of the ways in which interdisciplinary thinking invigorates creativity and cognitive diversity; illuminates the benefits of visual–spatial gifts that strengthen the development of important talents in gifted students who can go on to become creative leaders; and shows how human rights can be strengthened by constraining economic and political corruption. It also describes the benefits of using interdisciplinary navigation through different levels of analysis, each of which includes a number of academic disciplines. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)

Ghana is a rapidly developing West African country whose goal is to build a prosperous economy reliant on innovation and technology. Identifying and developing talent in the school system will play a role in achieving this goal; however, there is limited research on the status of gifted education and talent development in Ghana. This study investigated ten Junior High school mathematics and science teachers’ beliefs about giftedness and the strategies they proposed to develop gifted students’ potential into talent. The study drew on data from semi-structured interviews and lesson plans. The findings revealed that teachers had scant knowledge about giftedness and appropriate gifted education strategies. Respondents misconstrued differentiation and acceleration strategies and disregarded their use in developing the gifted. The study highlights the need for the development of a formal policy on gifted education, and the implementation of teacher education programmes that address teachers’ beliefs and knowledge about the gifted and gifted education strategies. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)

The actiotope model of giftedness (AMG) highlights the interactions between the individual and the environment. Educational and learning capital (ELC) are essential resources that promote the development of excellence. The study objectives were to examine the contribution of educational capital (EC), learning capital (LC), and general intelligence (GI) to scholastic achievements (SA) of school age students, and to examine whether the effect of EC on GI and SA is mediated by LC. Two hundred, fifth grade, students completed GI and mathematical achievement tests. Teachers completed the teacher’s checklist for each student participant and students’ school grades in mathematics, science, language, and English were collected. Results demonstrated that GI, EC, and LC contributed, altogether, 80% to the prediction of SA, the contribution of LC being higher. Moreover, contribution of EC to SA was mediated by LC. The study corroborates the AMG by demonstrating that both the environment and the individual control the ability to reach excellence and giftedness. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)

Stereotypes influence teachers’ perception of and behaviour towards students, thus shaping students’ learning opportunities. The present study investigated how 315 Australian pre-service teachers’ stereotypes about giftedness and gender are related to their perception of students’ intellectual ability, adjustment, and social-emotional ability, using an experimental vignette approach and controlling for social desirability in pre-service teachers’ responses. Repeated-measures ANOVA showed that pre-service teachers associated giftedness with higher intellectual ability, but with less adjustment compared to average-ability students. Furthermore, pre-service teachers perceived male students as less socially and emotionally competent and less adjusted than female students. Additionally, pre-service teachers seemed to perceive female average-ability students’ adjustment as most favourable compared to male average-ability students and gifted students. Findings point to discrepancies between actual characteristics of gifted female and male students and stereotypes in teachers’ beliefs. Consequences of stereotyping and implications for teacher education are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)

This article presents a commentary on the 21 st-century perspectives on the special issue on Rethinking Human Potential for the Journal for the Education of the Gifted. This special issue can be seen as another effort to help the field find a set of assumptions about the nature of giftedness to guide its practices in the 21 st century. The fact that this special issue focuses on “human potential” and not giftedness and/ or talent immediately tells us that very broad issues will be examined, that big questions will be posed, and that the possible answers to these questions may shake the foundations of the established field. Indeed, that may be the goal of this special issue. The contributors all give credit to the century of work in the field that preceded them and see their efforts as building on the valued work of their predecessor. This special issue honors Howard Gardner’s work and its impact on education, including education of the gifted. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)

Rather than considering human potential in terms of an unrealized desired state, what if we framed it as gaining momentum in worthy long-term pursuits? This conceptual article, integrating ideas and findings from several scholarly literatures, explores how life purpose can serve as a meaningful, intentional guide for individuals, especially youth, to direct their other potentials into prosocial contributions to society. The argument (a) considers life purpose itself as a form of intrapersonal giftedness different from academic giftedness; (b) describes how life purpose could include distinctions of further potentials: coherence among purpose dimensions, influence on different life domains, reach of others impacted by the youths’ contributions, emphasis to change society, and precocious emergence of purpose’s dimensions and distinctions; and (c) muses how life purpose’s directing of other potentials might become a potential that could be realized by all youth. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)

Peer status is an important indicator and predictor of adjustment. While gifted children tend to enjoy favorable peer status, their social functioning during adolescence is less clear. The current study seeks to enhance this understanding by examining both preference- and reputation-based peer status of gifted adolescents. Peer nominations were used to assess the peer status, aggression, victimization, and prosocial leadership of 327 public school seventh graders (44% male; 42% White). School records provided giftedness information, course grade, and standardized test scores, and substance use was self-reported. Gifted students were viewed as less aggressive and more prosocial and had higher academic achievement than nonidentified students. Giftedness moderated the peer status–adjustment relationship. Rejection related to higher victimization and test scores, but these associations were most exaggerated for gifted students. Popularity positively related to aggression and substance use; however, the associations were greatly attenuated for gifted students. Findings underscore the heterogeneity of gifted adolescents’ social experiences. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)

Are people with superior intelligence also superior in interpreting the emotions of others? Some studies find that an underlying g-factor links all mental processes leading to an expectation of a positive answer to the question, while other studies find that there is a cost to giftedness. No previous study have tested social cognition among highly gifted, or the Mensa society specifically. The study measures emotion recognition in 63 members of the Norwegian Mensa and 101 community controls. The Mensa group had a higher total score on the EmoBio test and was specifically better at differentiating the anger emotion, otherwise hypothesized to be mediated by subcortical processes. There was no difference in heterogeneity between the groups, contrary to the expectation of an autistic subgroup in Mensa. The study indicate that the positive manifold extends also to social cognition, and runs counter to the concept of a cost to giftedness. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)

The purpose of this study was to form a deeper understanding of how high school teachers view giftedness and gifted education. Open-ended surveys and interviews were conducted with high school teachers in a suburban school district with three large high school, and data were analyzed using a grounded theory methodology. Data were collected and analyzed in two phases with two groups of teachers ( n₁ = 7 and n₂ = 13). Text data from both phases were analyzed separately and then validated using constant comparison processes. Initial coding, focused coding, and theoretical coding led to data categories and an emergent theory to explain high school teachers’ perceptions regarding gifted education. Results indicated a need to clarify the perception of giftedness among high school teachers, as well as how effective training of those teachers can be implemented. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)

Despite one-dimensional stereotypes and barriers experienced by Asian American women, many have achieved prominence. We know very little about these stories, their lives, or what helped them to achieve beyond expectations. Based on the Productive Giftedness Model, the article identifies the common traits and supportive conditions that influence their success. To help illustrate these experiences, the article highlights the lives of 10 notable Asian American women across diverse professions. These women displayed “productive giftedness” as girls; they were accomplished, determined, and skillful early on, which led to excellence, awards, and leadership opportunities. Many also had supportive conditions including the investment of one or more adults. Parents, teachers, and mentors can further enhance these opportunities for Asian American girls. These general principles can be learned and applied to other groups as well. Supporting individual, instructional, and environmental factors can influence learning and achievement for girls in the early and school years. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)

Using a two-phase content analysis approach, this study examined how education scholars have discussed the intersection of giftedness, race, and poverty in gifted academic journals from 2000 to 2015. Specifically, the authors explored the following questions: (a) What are the characteristics of studies published that explore the intersection of giftedness, poverty, and students of color? (b) How do scholars discuss and theorize about how to recruit and retain gifted students of color who come from families living in poverty? (c) In what ways do scholars discuss the intersection of race and poverty for gifted students of color? Findings indicated that while studies were focused on students of color, there was limited discussion about the impact of race and poverty on the recruitment and retention of gifted students of color who come from families living in poverty. Implications and future research are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)