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The purpose of this clinical case study was the assessment and treatment of an emotionally disturbed, intellectually gifted adolescent. The case study subject was a fourteen-year-old Caucasian female in residential treatment. A combination of cognitive behavioral and brief therapy techniques was utilized. The assessment process examined various areas of development and determined areas of developmental advancement as well as developmental arrest. After a thorough psychodiagnostic assessment the adolescent was diagnosed with (1) Major Depression, moderate, recurrent, (2) Conduct Disorder, and (3) Alcohol Dependence. In addition to the above diagnoses, the specific strengths and weaknesses of the gifted individual were assessed in order to adequately integrate them into the treatment process. Specific therapeutic goals included (1) Decreasing depressive symptoms, (2) Achieving an understanding of the escalation of her anger and what constitutes appropriate expression of anger, (3) Achieving an understanding of the past and present sources of low self-esteem and increasing self-esteem as measured by subjective report and by overt behavior. The above specified goals were targeted during treatment, with special attention given to educating the subject about the ways in which giftedness impacted her presenting problems. The next step in treatment was a collaborative identification of her self-critical thought patterns with an emphasis on building cognitive strategies to refute these patterns. Treatment continued with the implementation of these strategies, and finally, treatment concluded with a termination phase. Progress throughout the course of therapy was assessed through reference to movement along the phase and grade system in the residential treatment center where the subject was a patient. The subject's performance on thought records was also assessed. The duration of time between a dysfunctional behavior occurring and the subject's identification of the dysfunctional thoughts that motivated her behavior was determined from self-report and observation in therapy sessions. In addition, the subject was assessed on the Beck Depression Inventory seven times over the course of treatment. Overall, the subject was successful in attaining most of her therapeutic goals. During the course of treatment, her ability to identify irrational beliefs and automatic thoughts which motivated her dysfunctional behaviors increased. This increase was evidenced by her participation in therapy and the completion of cognitive homework assignments. In addition, the subject's phase and grades improved and her Beck Depression Inventory scores decreased. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

Most research conducted on counseling the gifted is anecdotal in nature focusing on the experiences of a single counselor. To gain a broader perspective of the topic, this study investigated the effective and ineffective behaviors of school guidance counselors throughout the United States in their interactions with gifted students. The Critical Incident Technique (CIT), as described by John Flanagan (1954), was the main investigative tool of this qualitative study. The steps of this study were (a) review pertinent literature, (b) conduct a pilot study, (c) define the general aim of counseling the gifted, (d) distribute critical incident questionnaires, (e) conduct group CIT interviews with school guidance, (f) analyze the collected critical incidents, and (g) synthesize a model for counseling the gifted. Over 300 critical incidents were sorted into 75 categories and then collapsed into four general areas: educational issues, career issues, social issues, and understanding giftedness. In each area, certain counselor behaviors emerged to meet the general aim of counseling the gifted. In educational issues, the counselor (a) provided appropriate assessment and placement of gifted students and (b) instigated appropriate curricular modifications. In career issues, the counselor guided appropriate career exposure and career path experiences. In social issues, the counselor guided the student in interpersonal relations and guided the student's personal growth. In understanding giftedness, the counselor helped the student understand giftedness in themselves, in the family, and within groups. School guidance counselors reported being effective when they interacted with students in ways consistent with the tenets of gifted education. They were effective when they varied the pace, depth, novelty, or sophistication of their interactions in a manner that matched the student's developmental level and were not bound by traditional ideas of grade or age level. Gifted students seek the help of the school guidance counselor for many issues: issues that all students face, issues that were intensified by their giftedness, and issues that were unique to the gifted. Yet, school guidance counselors reported that they felt ill prepared to meet the needs of the gifted. The effectiveness of the school guidance counselor can be increased by specific training in the characteristics and needs of the gifted. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Self-esteem has been shown to be positively related to both academic success and success in the adult world. Given the importance of self-esteem, the role of the education system in the development of positive self-esteem is of great concern. Specifically, some researchers have raised questions about the impact of identifying students as "Gifted" or "Learning Disabled" on students' self-esteem. This study explores the impact of giftedness and learning disabilities on the self-esteem of children. In particular, this study focuses on the presence or absence of differences in self-esteem between students identified as gifted and not, as well as students identified as having learning disabilities and not. The existence of differences in self-esteem related to the interaction between gifted and learning disability identification is also investigated. Students labeled as gifted had higher self-esteem scores than their non-gifted peers. This is similar to results found by other researchers. There was also a significant interaction between labeling as gifted and labeling as learning disabled. The school self-esteem scores of the students in this study varied as a function of both their identification as gifted and their identification as learning disabled. Gifted students had the highest school self-esteem, followed by students with learning disabilities. Students identified as both gifted and as having learning disabilities scored third highest, and students identified as neither gifted nor learning disabled had the lowest school self-esteem. Gifted students with learning disabilities identified two categories of self-esteem supports. The first category focuses on their strengths and these students' ability to do some things well. The second category focuses on an understanding of their weaknesses, appropriate attribution of success and failure, and strategies they can use to overcome their disabilities. The results point to a number of areas where school districts can act to support the self-esteem of these students. These include identification of gifted learning disabled students, teachers who understand that students can be both gifted and learning disabled, curricula which include activities that allow students to display their support services so that students may obtain the guidance and support they need to excel. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of the learning environment on the emergence of gifted potential in preschool children. The primary research question focused on the nature of the learning environment that facilitates the emergence of these early indicators. Two preschool learning environments were examined: the traditional classroom and the constructivist classroom. In order to develop a more comprehensive response to the primary question, two subquestions were investigated which related to the nature and the observable developmental pattern of early signs of giftedness. Subjects included 21 three and four-year old children who participated in each of the two types of classrooms for a total of 12 weeks. Activities in the traditional classroom were more teacher-directed and highly structured, while those in the constructivist classroom were more child-directed and allowed for more independent learning. Nonparticipant observers noted the behaviors of each child who was involved in the classroom activities. The Brigance Preschool Screen and the Thinking Creatively in Action and Movement creativity measure were administered to each child for later assistance in discussing results. Recorded data were organized into levels of high, medium, and low under four broad categories: (a) cognitive development, (b) socioemotional development, (c) creativity, and (d) motivation. Results indicated that the constructivist classroom appeared to evoke a higher level of development in all four areas from the class as a whole. Individual subjects, however, exhibited a wide variety of behavioral profiles within these four areas. Test data yielded results similar to the evaluation of observed behaviors in terms of cognitive ability or readiness as measured by the Brigance Preschool Screen. Results from the TCAM, however, were not necessarily distributed in the same way as the behavioral evaluations. Findings from this study contribute to the ideas in the literature that behavioral identification is an effective way to evoke and observe the emergence of gifted potential. Although the study should be replicated with a larger group of similar students and/or a group of children with more diverse backgrounds and socioeconomic situations, findings from this study provide important implications for preschool teacher training, underachievement prevention, and programming for potentially gifted children. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Resilience has recently become part of a shift in perspective in the psychology and education of children from high-risk environments. Many researchers point to the phenomenon of the resilient child and discuss the importance of identifying positive factors that lead to capacity and strength despite environmental traumas. Although there has always been much attention paid by the mental health field, as well as the media, education, and legal systems, to individuals who failed in life due to stressors, especially multiple stressors, in their environments, there has been limited research in identifying factors that promote certain individuals to succeed despite the odds. The purpose of this study was to explore and explain, through a case-study profile approach, the experiences of three self-determined, academically gifted, resilient individuals who overcame their stressed and negative environments to succeed in extraordinary ways. A particular focus of the study was to identify and isolate academic giftedness as a protective factor that has promoted resilience in such individuals and to highlight the importance of identifying academically gifted children who emerge from such environments, especially those that include economic disadvantage. The research undertaken for this project was of a qualitative nature, based upon the premise of emergent design. The investigation utilized an in-depth interview approach, and each case profile was developed in terms of family background, educational background and signs of giftedness, career success, environmental stressors, and protective factors. Conclusions of this study are that, especially to gifted individuals coming from multiple-stressor environments, school becomes a refuge and school success a necessary and self-validating experience. It is especially crucial to identify gifted children early when they come from such environments since that identification may be their single source of salvation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

The effect of the mother's use of the term "gifted" was examined. Mothers who used gifted ("Users", n = 27), mothers who avoided using gifted ("Avoiders", n = 21), and their school aged children whom they identified as gifted were compared with mothers ("Comparison", n = 20) and their non-identified children using a structured interview and questionnaires. Mothers of gifted children believed giftedness ran in families and caused social problems. User mothers valued intelligence highly, placed less emphasis on hard work, were less satisfied with their child's school performance, and believed "gifted" described their children. Avoider mothers rated their child's school performance more positively and emphasized academic giftedness. When compared to Comparison children, Avoider children rated themselves as more scholastically competent on the Harter Self-Perception Profile for children while User children rated scholastic competence lower on the Importance Scale of that measure. Findings are discussed in relation to differences in the breadth of the mothers' conceptions of giftedness and use of "gifted", the belief that giftedness causes social problems, and the potential for misunderstanding between User mothers and children. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Statement of problem. The number of studies investigating the emotional adjustment of gifted adolescents is sparse in relation to studies devoted to younger gifted children. Furthermore, incongruent findings have characterized the body of empirical evidence, thus, stimulating the debate and exploration of the association of maladjustment and giftedness. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to compare the self-perceptions of emotional adjustment of academically gifted and nongifted adolescents from both a global and multidimensional perspective. The intent of this global-multidimensional approach, in part, was to explore the saliency of specific dimensions of adjustment in gifted adolescents and to increase the accuracy of the measurement of emotional adjustment. Method. The sample included 112 academically gifted and nongifted adolescents in a public high school (grades 9-12). The study employed the Self-Report of Personality of the Behavior Assessment System for Children to compare the two groups on the global Emotional Symptoms Index and specific indexes of adjustment, including: Self-Esteem, Sense of Inadequacy, Depression, Anxiety, Social Stress, and Interpersonal Relations. Results. Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed that the self-perceptions of academically gifted adolescents differ significantly from their nongifted agemates' with regard to overall adjustment, self-esteem, sense of inadequacy, depression, and interpersonal relations. More specifically, the scores obtained by the academically gifted adolescents indicated that they judged themselves as better adjusted with regard to global functioning, as well as all of the aforementioned specific dimensions. The academically gifted and nongifted adolescents exhibited no significant difference in their reporting of anxiety and social stress. Conclusions. Findings suggest that academically gifted adolescents perceive themselves as well-adjusted when examined from both a global and multidimensional perspective. Current results, therefore, reflect the importance of refraining from perfunctorily associating maladjusted behaviors with giftedness when they are displayed by gifted adolescents. Consequently, behavioral manifestations of maladjustment in gifted adolescents should warrant attention. Finally, this research emphasizes the need for consideration of both global and specific dimensions of emotional functioning when attempting to identify and address the psychological and educational needs of gifted adolescents. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

The purpose of this study is to uncover the perceptions of an academically gifted African-American male undergraduate student attending an Historically Black College and University (HBCU) and the perceptions of an academically gifted African-American male undergraduate student attending a Traditional White Institution (TWI) concerning his relationship with the institution in the cultivation of his academic giftedness. Qualitative research methods were used to collect data for this study which included interviews, observations, and written documents. Phenomenology and grounded theory were selected as the guiding theoretical orientation and method implemented in the research design. Both case study participants were interviewed using a standardized open-ended interview instrument. Subsequent interviews were conducted with friends, instructors, and administrators the case study participants interacted with on their respective campuses. The purpose of the interviewing process was to obtain triangulated data which could be used to provide a holistic view of the perceptions regarding the institution's role in the cultivation of academic giftedness. Observations were conducted with both case study participants to view their engagements on and off their respective campuses. Written documents were solicited to provide a richer description of their academic experiences. Results of the study indicated that academic giftedness was thoroughly supported both within and outside of the university setting at the Historically Black College and University. Yet, academic giftedness at the Traditional White Institution was thoroughly supported only within the parameters of the university setting. These results were attributed to findings cited in the two emergent grounded theories. Due to the research oriented approach to education East Texas State University appeared to embrace, the student's academic giftedness was not thoroughly supported by the institution. Yet, the liberal arts approach maintained by Grambling State University provided support for the student's giftedness within and outside of the university environment. The findings in this study serve as a foundation for future investigations which should be developed and implemented in order to address the unique needs of the academically gifted African-American male undergraduate student. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)

Do visual artists see the world differently than non-artists do? If differences exist between artists and non-artists on measures of attention and object perception, do these differences suggest greater attentional flexibility in visual artists as compared to non-artists? The broadest goals of the current problem of research are to advance our understanding of visual selective attention, visual artistic expertise, and the development of visual artistic expertise. Specifically, the current work attempts to better characterize attentional flexibility and its apparent relation to artistic expertise. That is, what is attentional flexibility, and where in the time course of attentional processing can it be located (in visual artists and non-artists)? Selective attention to identity vs. similarity relations and to local vs. global relations was explored over a series of five experiments. These experiments were designed in order to examine: (1) more "automatic" and generally earlier selective attention as measured by same-different tasks, and (2) more "controlled" and generally later selective attention as measured by classification tasks. A variety of stimulus sets were utilized across these five experiments, such that Experiments 1 and 3 employed hue-form triads and tetrads, Experiments 2 and 5 employed hierarchical geometric forms, and Experiment 4 employed hierarchical letter stimuli. Forty upper-level student art majors and forty upper-level psychology majors at the University of Louisville participated in each of the experiments within the current study. In agreement with previous work, findings indicate that visual artists do indeed demonstrate greater flexibility of attention when measures of later attentional processing are considered. However, few differences between visual artists and non-artists are revealed by measures of earlier, more automatic selective attention. Findings are discussed in terms of a detailed comparison of this variety of measures of selective attention and object perception, and also in terms of the importance of describing stimulus properties, the task at hand, and the developmental level and/or level of expertise of the observer. Implications for models of selective attention, the development of selective attention, and the development and identification of expertise and giftedness are also described. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

Examined achievement motivation, creativity, intelligence, and scholastic achievement in 100 male and 100 female Muslim minority children (aged 13–19 yrs) in India. Ss formed 4 subgroups: (1) culturally deprived, economically high; (2) culturally high, economically low; (3) culturally advantaged, economically high; and (4) culturally advantaged, economically low. Measures of the variables revealed that Group 1 scored higher than its advantaged counterparts. Group 3 scored better than its deprived counterpart. Results are interpreted in terms of impact of environmental settings and economic conditions on individuals' social psychological growth. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved)

Compared psychological profiles of 497 male and 508 female mathematically gifted 10th graders with those of normative groups. Typical gender differentiating attributes (e.g., interest patterns) were less stereotyped in gifted males and females. Gifted Ss were intellectually superior across a wide range of cognitive abilities; however, evidence for more mathematical specificity in the gifted Ss than in controls was also detected. Classic male/female differences were observed on measures of mathematical ability. A 13-yr follow-up of 216 male and 191 female gifted Ss revealed that 8% of gifted males and 19% of gifted females in the follow-up did not obtain college degrees, indicating that a proportion of Ss did not make full use of their abilities. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved)

Responds to R. H. Jarrell and J. H. Borland's (see PA, Vol 63946001) criticisms of the research underpinnings of the Renzulli 3-ring conception of giftedness by suggesting selectivity and bias in their methodology, especially their decision not to review recent updates. Jarell and Borland have misunderstood the restriction of range issue. Their threshold effect argument, their claims that Renzulli believes that ability is irrelevent, their analysis of L. Terman's work, and their minimization of motivation and task commitment are questioned. Renzulli believes all special programs must assume some of the obligation for addressing equity issues. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

Investigated humor among gifted adolescents (GAs) by first comparing how 30 GAs were perceived by 912 peers and then comparing personality traits (Israeli adaptation of the Eysenck personality test) of 121 GAs receiving high and low scores on a sense of humor test. Sociometric choices were normally distributed in the general population, but GAs received few or many choices in a bimodal distribution, indicating either a good sense of humor or being humorless. Interviews with 14 GAs revealed that those viewed as humorless were introverted, spending much of their time in extracurricular learning experiences. Gifted adolescent humorists were more extraverted, more creative, and lower in their needs for social approval. Extraversion explains more than 27% of the variance of humor. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

Examines events that influenced the 1928 yearbook of the National Society for the Study of Education, Nature and Nurture: Their influence on intelligence. Probable bases are reviewed for rapprochement among contemporary proponents who argue for the primacy of nature or who call for emphasis on nurture. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

Discusses the research contributions of L. S. Hollingworth in the psychology of women, mental retardation, and intellectual talent. Hollingworth challenged the prevailing beliefs that women should not aspire to excellence and that retardation was more prevalent among males. She studied giftedness scientifically rather than just describing it and emphasized valid instruments for identifying gifted children. Through her research, Hollingworth dispelled many myths that characterized gifted children. Hollingworth experimented with a number of educational options, but especially with segregated classes, to enhance the development of gifted children. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Forty-five boys and 45 girls of the 5th, 8th, and 11th grades from a school for the academically gifted and an identical number from regular schools were asked to describe their use of 14 self-regulated learning strategies and to estimate their verbal and mathematical efficacy. The groups of students from both schools included Whites, Blacks, Hispanics, and Asians. Students came from middle-class homes. Gifted students displayed significantly higher verbal efficacy, mathematical efficacy, and strategy use than regular students. In general, 11th-grade students surpassed 8th graders, who in turn surpassed 5th graders on the three measures of self-regulated learning. Students' perceptions of both verbal and mathematical efficacy were related to their use of self-regulated strategies. Evidence of relations between students' strategic efforts to learn and perceptions of academic self-efficacy is concordant with a triadic view of self-regulatory learning. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Attempts to generate a set of hypotheses about gifted people and their interactions with others, about the social/emotional issues gifted adults face, and about how these issues impact on self-esteem and on interpersonal relationships. These hypotheses are intended to generate a thoughtful and open dialogue with gifted psychotherapy clients about the fact of their giftedness and its impact on their lives. Specific therapeutic issues also are explored in the context of the social/emotional development of the gifted person. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

Reports the main results of a longitudinal study of the mental development of gifted Chinese children, discusses the findings of comparative studies on the cognitive development and personality traits of normal and gifted children, outlines methods and procedures for identifying giftedness, and describes educational programs for gifted children. (English abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

Determined the extent to which analytic or cognitive ability, social skills, creative arts, verbal ability, and motor skills identified in previous research (e.g., S. L. Guskin et al; see record 1989-24151-001) are employed by teachers in estimating traits and outcomes for individual student cases. The influence of these categories on decisions made about educational programming was investigated. 158 prospective and experienced teachers who responded to 6 1-page scenarios of students with varying backgrounds of gender, race, and socioeconomic status (SES) participated in the study. Responses to each student included 25 trait ratings, judgments of appropriate programming and resources, and predictions of adult success. Students with motor or creative arts skills would not be as successful as those with verbal, analytic, or social skills. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

Two groups of mathematically gifted 10th-grade Ss and 2 groups of environmentally privileged students represented the top 1% on a standard measure of quantitative ability, and the upper 1% of a conventional socioeconomic status (SES) index. These groups were compared to one another by gender, and to their gender-equivalent normative cohorts on 43 indices of medical and physical well-being (MPWB). Although higher levels of physical health were found in both gifted and privileged groups (relative to the norm), MPWB was more highly associated with mathematical giftedness than with extreme levels of socioeconomic privilege. Findings confirm the view that the nomothetic span (network of correlates) of general intelligence permeates a variety of important and valued nonintellectual domains. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)