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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)

During the more than fifty years society has recognized the concept of superior ability, or giftedness, a related issue has come to light: the fact that many of our brightest students are not achieving to their potential. Researchers have not arrived at a single clear explanation for this behavior or met with success in consistently reversing underachievement. Given that some of the best minds in the social sciences have been steadily attacking this problem without reliable success, how is it that some students have managed to self-intervene and reverse former poor performance? And, what factor(s) do they perceive as being critical to both their underachievement and subsequent success? Was there some particular moment when they suddenly decided to change? How did individuals who had been consistently told as students they would never amount to anything become self-fulfilled, competent, and successful citizens? The purpose of this study was to examine the phenomenon of gifted students who once underachieved but who have since become achievers. The life-story qualitative research data were collected from four gifted adult participants via individual questionnaires and in-depth semi-structured personal interviews. Questions examined individual experiences of giftedness, related educational benefits and other issues, familial factors, social factors, and other pertinent information related to both giftedness and underachievement as well as perceptions related to both the moment and process of change. Data were then analyzed through inductive analytical processes. Once analyzed, the data described students who possessed both high intelligence and intellectual self-esteem, but who would not play The School Game. Participants came from families where important survival tactics such as study skills, self-regulation techniques, metacognitive processes or others were not taught, and parental involvement in children's education was minimal. Lack of success in school led to years of personal difficulty, including substance abuse and suicidal tendencies, leading to hitting bottom. After hitting bottom, each made the conscious choice to change, which included a return to college to successfully complete formal education. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

The unique characteristics of gifted children's emotional development are located in numerous theoretical papers and small sample case studies found in the literature on giftedness. A novel, more comprehensive conceptual approach was applied to this exploratory investigation. Emotion development was distinguished into four components: awareness and organization, motivation, regulation, and communication. This study explored the emotional development of gifted and average ability students through their ratings of five basic emotions on measures of emotional awareness and organization. Students (N = 357) in grades three, six, nine, or twelve were designated into gifted and average ability groups based on their most recent Canadian Cognitive Abilities Test scores. Three multifaceted measures were used to elicit participants' responses through Likert scale ratings, open-ended questions, and an emotion-word card-sort. Participants' emotion awareness (sensitivity and valence) and emotion organization (intensity and complexity) were perceived through five basic emotions (happy, sad, scared, loving, and angry). Separate MANOVA's were conducted for emotion: sensitivity (e.g., sensitivity-happy), valence (e.g., valence-scared), intensity (e.g., dimensionality-amounts of pleasantness and arousal), and complexity (e.g., unitary, blended, multiple, and complex emotions perceived in three sad situations). Significant differences between gifted students and their average ability peers were displayed on the first and second dimensions of the intensity variable and on the scared emotion situations of the complexity variable. No differences were shown on their emotion ratings on the sensitivity and valence variables. Significant effects were observed on the variables between genders and among students' grade levels supporting the applicability of this conceptual approach and these measures of emotion with respect to development. Further discussions and studies are required to identify the theoretical models, variables, and items that measure the multiple facets comprising gifted students' emotion development. The findings from this exploratory study suggest that basic rating scales require more breadth and depth to measure gifted students' emotion perceptions. The differences displayed in the students' organization of emotions require further scrutiny to understand the structures underlying their statistical data and graphic representations. Studies that include sample groups representing the various types (e.g., creative) and levels (e.g., exceptional) of giftedness would also further our understanding. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

The magnitude of ethnic minority students' special education placement has been criticized on methodological grounds. Particularly, Reschly & Bershoff (1999) identified the prevalence rate calculation in Office of Civil Rights reports as over estimating the special education placement of ethnic minority students. Reschly & Bershoff (1999) identified the prevalence rate calculation found in descriptive epidemiology research for use. The present study calculated prevalence rates through the descriptive epidemiology method. The present study examined the role of cultural concerns in the assessment and placement practices of ethnic minority students in special and gifted education. The role of cultural concerns was particularly noted in federal and state definitions of special education categories. Campbell & Fiske's (1952) MMTM approach was outlined to conceptualize the cultural concerns research. The present study found that African-American students were overrepresented in the Emotional Disturbance (ED) and Specific Learning Disabled (SLD) categories, underrepresented in the Gifted (GI) category, and placed at a proportional rate in the Mentally Retarded (MR) and Speech Language Impaired (SLI categories. Hispanic students were overrepresented in the SLD and SLI categories, underrepresented in the GI and MR categories, and placed at a proportional rate in the ED category. Native American students were overrepresented in the SLD and SLI categories and underrepresented in the ED, MR and GI categories. Asian/Pacific Islander students were overrepresented in the GI category, underrepresented in ED category, and placed at a proportional rate in the SLI, MR, and SLD categories. Anglo students were overrepresented in the GI, ED, SLI, and SLD categories and underrepresented in the MR category. The significant finding on the proportional placement of African-American students in the MR category suggest that prevalence rates are reviewed. The underestimate of ethnic minority students in the GI category suggest a broadening to include cultural definitions of giftedness. Of the cultural concerns reviewed, cultural role taking, which may include consultation with interpreters, cultural advisors, healers along with training, was found critical in the assessment of cultural variables in psychopathology and placement of ethnic minority students in special and gifted education. Lastly, school practices such as problem solving approaches as well as culturally responsive teaching are recommended for use as prereferral interventions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)

Traditional programs for gifted children have been criticized for relying on narrow criteria of ability and achievement and for under-identifying disadvantaged students. Alternative programs have provided little follow up to demonstrate long term outcomes. This study examined the achievement, academic and career aspirations, and self concept of rural, low income, gifted students upon completion of high school. These students had been identified at the end of third grade utilizing distinctive, comprehensive strategies and had been exposed to a specially designed curriculum intervention from fourth through sixth grade, followed up by modified science classes in 8th and 9th grades. The 28 students in this special program (SPRING) who were available at the completion of high school were compared with a more traditionally identified gifted (GT) group (n = 25), and 53 students (NonGT) never identified as gifted. Analyses of variance, covariance, and chi-square tests demonstrated that upon completing high school, GT students were achieving higher, had taken more science and math courses than SPRING and NonGT students. GT students were also more likely to take college entrance exams and to go on to college than SPRING students. Career orientation differed for the two groups, with SPRING students more likely to prefer realistic or practical occupations. The effects of the program differed for the two schools involved, with one school showing more favorable self concept in high school for SPRING than GT students while the other school had both SPRING and GT higher than the NonGT students. The findings suggest the limitations of proposed alternative interventions when faced with the more powerful effects of family social and economic status and the lack of resources and opportunities in rural communities and schools. The findings also suggest the complexity of the relationship between giftedness and self concept. The study concludes with implications of the research, recommendations for effective practices and areas for future research. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

When seeking answers to the question "Why are there so few eminent women?" Silverman (1995) addressed the inner experiences of gifted children suggesting that the combination of their emotional intensity and cognitive complexity renders them vulnerable to underachievement. She proposed that the emotional component of giftedness is more inclusive of the female experience and that this vulnerability implies the need for modifications in parenting in order for gifted girls to develop optimally. Researchers have investigated relationships between parents and gifted children, between fathers and sons, between mothers and daughters; but no research has been conducted investigating the structure of the relationship between a father and his gifted daughter that is supportive of her giftedness. Thus the current research utilized a qualitative methodology to develop a grounded theory of father support of giftedness in order to: (a) discover what the modifications in fathering gifted girls might be that would facilitate gifted girls' optimal development; and (b) identify what processes account for success without deriving hypotheses from the literature and then experimenting on them. This research investigated personal constructs of father support of giftedness from an intergenerational perspective in eight intact families with gifted daughters who had completed their first or second year of college. Data from three 90-minute in-depth interviews with each father and each daughter, and one 90-minute interview with each mother resulted in over 2,000 pages of cleaned data which were coded and analyzed. A theoretical model of father support of giftedness emerged from the data which expressed (a) intervening conditions influencing support, (b) causal conditions fostering support, (c) phenomenon of father support, (d) context fostering support, (e) context within which support is perceived, (f) action/interaction strategies, and (g) consequences of support. Subcategories for each category of the model were identified. Findings from this qualitative research implied that in these families, the supportive relationship between a gifted girl and her father was basic to her optimal development. Findings in these families indicated that, where fathers held high expectations of their daughters and provided encouragement, advocacy, and guidance, their daughters demonstrated perseverance, and persistence, with a sense of equanimity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

Ethnic identity, self-esteem, and reflected appraisal are constructs that promote resiliency and each begins to play a larger role in daily life during adolescence. However, few studies explore these aspects of identity development during early/middle adolescence. Although it is theorized that ethnic identity and self-esteem increase and reflected appraisal (degree to which one's self-esteem is affected by the opinions of others) decreases across adolescence, there are no studies that simultaneously chart age-related differences in and relationships among ethnic identity, self-esteem, and reflected appraisal during adolescence. Therefore, it is unknown whether conventional scales measuring these constructs are appropriate for the measurement of ethnic identity, self-esteem, and reflected appraisal during early/middle adolescence. The current study addressed the salience of conventional scales for the measurement of these constructs and explored age-related changes in and relationships among these construct across adolescence. The participants were 159 adolescents, ranging in age from 10-18, with a mean age of 13.69. The sample derived from a large metropolitan city, with participants from 9 different academic environments. Ethnic identity was assessed using the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure, self-esteem was assessed using the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and reflected appraisal was assessed by the Reflected Appraisal Subscale of the Contingencies of Self-Worth Scale. Results suggests that all scale were at least minimally acceptable reliability for the measurement of ethnic identity, self-esteem, and reflected appraisal during early and middle adolescence. Although, no age-related trends were found for these variables, several correlational relationships emerged among these variables. Ethnic identity and reflected appraisal were correlated with and unique predictors of with self-esteem during adolescence. Reflected appraisal and ethnic identity (including other group orientation) were not correlated. These results suggest that ethnic identity, self-esteem, and reflected appraisal are salient, reliably measurable constructs during adolescence. Age-related trends did not emerge from these data, however, factors such as academic giftedness and sample heterogeneity may have confounded results. Finally, correlational and regression analysis uncovered relationships among these variables. The findings from these data may be helpful for the development of treatment programs aimed at the development of resiliency during adolescence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

This study explored feelings of isolation among gifted and nongifted students. Further, gender differences and feelings of isolation were explored. Lastly, differences between feelings of isolation among African American and White students were explored. There are seven research questions that were examined: (1) How do gifted students differ from students not identified as gifted in their feelings of isolation? (2) How do males differ from females in their feelings of isolation? (3) How do African American students differ from White students in their feelings of isolation? (4) How do gifted males, gifted females, males not identified as gifted and females not identified as gifted differ in their feelings of isolation? (5) How do gifted African American students, gifted White students, African American students not identified as gifted and White students not identified as gifted differ in their feelings of isolation? (6) How do African American males, African American females, White males and White females differ in their feelings of isolation? (7) How do gifted African American males, gifted African American females, gifted White males, gifted White females, African American males not identified as gifted, African American females not identified as gifted, White males not identified as gifted and White females not identified as gifted differ in their feelings of isolation? Based upon the research questions, the following hypotheses were tested: (1) Gifted students and students not identified as gifted differ with respect to feelings of isolation. (2) Male students and females students differ with respect to feelings of isolation. (3) African American students and White students differ with respect to feelings of isolation. (4) There is a significant interaction between giftedness and gender with respect to feelings of isolation. (5) There is a significant interaction between giftedness and race with respect to feelings of isolation. (6) There is a significant interaction between race and gender with respect to feelings of isolation. (7) There is a significant interaction among giftedness, race and gender with respect to feelings of isolation. A causal comparison research design was employed. Two hundred sixty-nine African American and White students in grades 9 through 12 were surveyed. The School Achievement Among Black Students Survey ( SPSABSS) (Ford, 1991) was chosen to measure feelings of isolation. To determine whether statistically significant differences in feelings of isolation across groups existed, one 3-way analysis of variance was employed on group mean scores for the dependent variable, feelings of isolation. The overall interaction of giftedness, race and gender was not statistically significant F(l, 261) = 0.011, p > 0.05. The interaction of gender and race with respect to feelings of isolation was statistically significant F(l, 261) = 5.83, p < 0.05. The interaction of giftedness and race on feelings of isolation was statistically significant F(1, 261) = 13.89, p < 0.00. The interaction of giftedness and gender on feelings of isolation was statistically significant F(1, 261) = 4.17, p < 0.05. (Abstract shortened by UMI.) (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

It has been claimed that highly gifted children become aware of philosophical, ethical, societal, and environmental issues at an unusually young age. Hollingworth (1942) considered an early interest in what she called "questions of origin and destiny" to be a marker for giftedness (p. 279). According to Hollingworth, children develop such concerns when they reach the mental age of 12 or 13. Since Hollingworth's time, many have echoed her assertions. With few exceptions, these claims rest upon case studies and intuition. To determine whether highly gifted children show early issue awareness, a comparison of highly gifted and typical children was undertaken. Highly gifted 7- to 9-year-olds were compared to two control groups, one matched on age, the other made up of 12- to 13-year-olds. Three approaches were used to gather information about children's issue awareness: Parents rated children's issue awareness and children responded both to a structured interview and to drawings depicting environmental and human rights issues. Whereas children's responses provided mixed results, with responses to drawings revealing early issue awareness in the highly gifted more so than interview-based responses, parents' perceptions of children's issue awareness strongly supported the hypothesis that highly gifted children have early issue awareness. It is not clear whether these discrepancies reflect parental bias, measurement error, or as proposed here, the effect of differential parenting strategies. The speculation that parents observe highly gifted children's early issue awareness and respond by protecting them from exposure to issues is consistent with the pattern of results. Although results failed to support Hollingworth's assertion that issue awareness arises when children have reached the mental age of 12 or 13, taken together, results provide modest support for the hypothesis that highly gifted children do indeed have early issue awareness compared to agemates. No differences were found between highly gifted and typical children in terms of emotional intensity or altruistic nature of their responses to issues that they considered important. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

Federal definitions of giftedness have expanded over the years to include more than general intellectual ability. While a majority of states have incorporated most of the criteria set forth in the federal definitions, the criterion given the most weight remains intellectual ability. In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, identification of mentally gifted students requires an evaluation by a certified public school psychologist and the administration of a professionally validated test of intellectual ability. I.Q. testing presents as one of the most expensive tools in the identification process. As such, effective screening procedures implemented prior to referral for individual assessment can considerably lower the costs of the identification process by reducing the number of students referred for gifted consideration who subsequently fail to be identified as mentally gifted. The purpose of the current study is two-fold. Of initial focus is the identification of criteria currently utilized in the screening process for identifying gifted students which best predict the results of professionally validated tests of intelligence. The second focus is the development of instrumentation, designated the Teacher Rating Scale (TRS), and the analysis of its predictive value in identifying intellectually gifted students. Both simple and multiple regression were used to assess the predictive value of currently used screening data in identifying those students referred for eligibility determination who scored 130 or greater on the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale: Fourth Edition and/or the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - III. Composite scores from the TRS rating scale were then incorporated into the regression equation, with the analysis assessing the contribution of the rating scale in predicting individual I.Q. scores. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

The purpose of this study was to examine the temperament characteristics that may affect teachers' appraisals of student aptitudes and their referral for gifted programs. Classroom teachers were asked to complete a modified version of the School-Age Temperament Inventory (McLowry, 1993) on three groups of elementary school students. These groups were: (a) economically disadvantaged gifted children who had been identified through a multiple-criteria evaluation process, (b) students who had been identified as gifted by traditional means (standardized test scores), and (c) students who had been nominated for gifted program screening by their classroom teachers. The teacher ratings of temperament factors were compared. There were no significant differences between the groups on teacher ratings of activity level or approach/withdrawal behavior. However, there were significant differences between the groups on ratings of task persistence and negative reactivity. The economically disadvantaged students were rated as less task persistent than either of the other two groups, and they were rated as more negative in mood than the students who had been nominated by their teachers for gifted program screening. Two open-ended questions added to the temperament inventory allowed teachers to describe the temperament factors they associated with giftedness. The two factors selected most often were task persistence and negative reactivity, the ones on which economically disadvantaged gifted students differed most from students in the other two groups. It was concluded that perceived differences in noncognitive behavior do influence teachers' recognition of gifted abilities in students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. There are strong indications that staff development to improve teachers' skills in recognizing attributes of giftedness in atypical populations should include instruction on the potential biasing effects of temperament factors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Gifted education has come a long way in the development and acceptance of broader definitions of giftedness and more inclusive identification procedures. Educators have recognized that restrictive requirements which rely unilaterally on 10 scores fail to identify many gifted students; they have worked to change traditional notions of giftedness. This research focuses on the history of the evolution of multiple criteria procedures for gifted identification in Georgia from 1958 to 1997; it chronicles the events and personalities which brought about changes mandating that students be evaluated for gifted program admission on the basis of aptitude, achievement, motivation, and creativity. This research also parallels the development of Georgia rules mandating the use of multiple criteria with the nation-wide trend toward more inclusive procedures. It includes a discussion of research-based "best practices" for gifted identification and a comprehensive history of gifted education since the time of Thomas Jefferson. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

This research developed the ElemenOE, an instrument designed for use by teachers to measure personality characteristics known as "overexcitabilities" in children ages 4-12. The research describes the overexcitabilities within the context of Dabrowski's Theory of Positive Disintegration and makes the case for their use to identify gifted children. Overexcitability refers to an innate supersensitivity to stimuli in any of five different areas: psychomotor, sensual, imaginational, intellectual, and emotional. One good reason for looking at giftedness from the perspective of overexcitabilities is that these overexcitabilities, or OEs, are not tied to academic achievement. Instead, they are the roots of giftedness, leading to behaviors that are indicative of "an advanced and accelerated development of functions within the brain. Such development may express itself in high levels of cognitive, affective, physical sensing, and/or intuitive abilities" (Clark, 1997). Prior instruments used to measure overexcitabilities are problematical for administration to elementary school children, but these problems are circumvented with the ElemenOE. Five scholars of Dabrowski's theory rated an initial 100 items for content validity. Items were eliminated if the raters disagreed on the OE they exemplified or if the raters felt the behaviors were weak indicators of that OE. The 61 remaining items were compiled into a pilot instrument that was used to describe 373 students. Exploratory factor analyses using Varimax rotation found factors that related to the five OEs. Items with loadings of less than .5 were eliminated. In this way, the 61 items of the pilot instrument were reduced to the 30 items used on the ElemenOE. Teachers used the ElemenOE to describe 171 gifted and nonidentified children. A discriminant analysis resulted in one function that significantly discriminated between the groups, with Intellectual and Psychomotor OEs making significant contributions. The ElemenOE classified 76% of gifted students along with 42.7% of non-identified students as having similar OE profiles. These results indicate that the ElemenOE may be useful in identifying gifted students who are missed by traditional identification procedures. Cronbach's alpha, a measure of internal consistency, was .883 for the ElemenOE, and interrater reliability of the total instrument was calculated at .965 using the Spearman-Brown formula. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship of two screening tests for developmental skills and cognitive abilities with measured intelligence used for placement in early childhood gifted education programs. The review of literature supported the notion that the IQ score was often used as the most definitive criterion for identification of students with giftedness or exceptional ability. Procedures. The population of this study included the elementary students, grades two through six, who were screened and tested for the gifted education program in a public school district located in southeastern Missouri during the school years from August 1993 to May 1997. The sample was limited to the students who were screened with the Missouri Kindergarten Inventory of Developmental Skills (KIDS) and the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) and placed with the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-III (WISC-III). The school district provided a list of test results. The data were analyzed using Pearson Product-Moment correlation and stepwise multiple regression. Findings. The statistical analysis of the data indicated a significant difference at the .05 level of significance for three subtests of the KIDS, auditory skills, language concepts, and visual skills. The composite score of the CogAT was identified as the best predictor at a level of significance p < .001, and accounted for 14% of the variability of the full scale intelligence quotient scores of the WISC-III. Conclusions. While the coefficients of the three KIDS subtests and the composite scores of the CogAT were of statistical significance, factors contributing to less than 14% of the variance of the WISC-III provided limited predictive value. The findings of this study stressed the importance of using multiple criteria in the screening procedures for identification of students with giftedness, as well as the need for more effective teacher training for recognition of gifted characteristics. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

This study examined the relationships among teacher rating scales and measures traditionally used to predict "schoolhouse giftedness." "Schoolhouse giftedness" refers to test taking and lesson learning giftedness (Renzulli & Reis, 1985) and is measured by standardized intelligence and academic achievement tests. Participants included 255 children, ages 5 to 6 years, nominated by teachers or parents for a gifted program. Children were divided into monolingual, bilingual or limited English proficient groups. Sixty kindergarten teachers attended a two-hour training, which focused on characteristics of gifted children and completion of teacher rating forms. Two months later, children were rated on three teacher rating scales, the Gifted and Talented Evaluation Scale (GATES; Gilliam, Carpenter & Christensen, 1996), the Scales for Rating the Behavioral Characteristics of Superior Students and the Renzulli-Smith Early Childhood Checklist. Children who scored at or above the "borderline" range on the GATES were administered an intelligence measure (Stanford-Binet Fourth Edition), the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-educational Battery - Revised Tests of Achievement (Skills cluster and Broad Knowledge cluster) and a nonverbal measure of intelligence (Matrix Analogies Test). The three rating scales displayed significant positive correlations with the cognitive ability scores for all three groups as well as for the monolingual and bilingual groups with regard to the Skills cluster. The Renzulli-Smith Early Childhood Checklist was the only scale positively correlated with the Skills cluster for students of limited English proficiency. Teacher rating scales were not found to have significant relationships with the Broad Knowledge cluster. The GATES was not found to be the most highly correlated scale with standardized measures as hypothesized. Significant differences were not found among the correlations between rating scales and standardized measures for the three groups. None of the scales were effective in predicting group membership in the gifted group. Replacing the verbal portion of the intelligence scale with the Matrix Analogies Test resulted in a larger percentage of students of limited English proficiency falling within the gifted group. Results were discussed in terms of the limited efficacy of teacher rating scales in predicting "schoolhouse giftedness." Based on the current study, these measures must be utilized cautiously for kindergarten age children. Diversifying measures of ability and achievement and altering methods of admission for children with limited English ability were also discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

The underrepresentation of minority students in programs for the gifted and their overrepresentation in special education programs has been well documented. Definitions of giftedness and identification procedures are frequently cited barriers to identification and placement of culturally diverse students in programs for the gifted. Research efforts are directed toward developing alternative assessment techniques for identification of minority students for placement in gifted education programs. The Center for Theater Techniques in Education, under the guidance of Mary Hunter Wolf, founder and President, began offering a talent identification and development program for gifted, urban minority students. Middle school students identified by their non-verbal intellectual ability and their creative abilities are selected to participate in the Talent Search and Development Program (TSDP), a unique theater tech/integrated arts program. The goal of the program is to identify and nurture each student's talent in the arts or academic areas. This qualitative study of past participants explored the factors related to the recognition and development of talent in each participant. Also examined were the components of the program affecting continuing education and career choices, and the ability of each participant to relate to his/her cultural heritage as well as the broader world. Qualitative data collected from participants and program personnel and documents revealed the educational interventions, personal traits, and the support systems necessary to help guide the participants toward their eventual career choices. Qualitative data indicated that the absence of consistent support systems (families, gifted program opportunities, peer groups, and counseling opportunities) prevented some of the participants from moving forward with talent development opportunities, higher education, and career choices. The greater the inconsistency of support systems, the less possibility existed for developmental paths to be sustained. For some participants, clear goals, and visions for the future were never developed. Adequate consistency of support systems, enabled other participants to continue the developmental progress they began in TSDP, and move forward with higher education and career planning providing the beginning to a fulfilling life in the broader world. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

The purpose of this study was to examine the role of gender, giftedness, informal exercise and team sports in the development of self-perceptions and identity of young adolescents. The study was conducted in 2 middle schools. The subjects were 305 students (138 nongifted females, 44 gifted females, 100 nongifted males, and 23 gifted males) in the 8th grade. Instruments used to survey students were the Physical Activity Survey, Harter's Self-Perception Profile, and the Erikson Psychosocial Stage Inventory. The results of the study show that participation in team sports had a positive effect on all domains of young adolescents' self-perceptions and identity development except behavioral conduct. Informal exercise had a positive effect on young adolescents' perceptions of social competence and their global self-worth but not on their identity development. Gender differences were found with males showing more positive self-perceptions of athletic competence, physical appearance, and global self-worth as well as higher resolution of the stages of autonomy and identity than females, and females showing more positive self-perceptions of behavioral conduct than males. There were no differences between gifted and nongifted with the exception that gifted students showed more positive scholastic competence than nongifted. The findings from this study suggest that participation in team sports is a part of young adolescents' development at the middle grades level. Middle schools may want to use the results of this study in planning programs. A well-planned sports program that emphasizes healthy competition for young adolescents may benefit both males and females. Educators may use these findings to counsel females to consider sports as one way to manage stress and to enhance self-concept and identity development. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

This paper presented a significant problem in the field of research on the gifted and talented. Traditional methods for the identification of gifted individuals, including intelligence and achievement measures do not always correctly identify every gifted individual. Identification could be made more accurate with the addition of other identification areas. One often overlooked area for identification is personality measures. Literature of the field was reviewed to clarify the identification problem. The two research questions examined were: (1) Are there relationships between scores on the Sensory Profile and traditional measures of giftedness? (2) Are there relationships between scores on the OEQII and the Sensory Profile? Four hypotheses were proposed: Hypothesis 1: Scores on the Sensory Profile will correlate with intelligence scores and achievement. Hypothesis 2: Scores on the Sensory Profile will correlate with scores on the Overexcitability Questionnaire II. Hypothesis 3: A model consisting of four latent variables (Overexcitability Questionnaire II, Sensory Profile, intelligence test scores, achievement scores) defined by the scores on their related tests will demonstrate good fit with empirically collected data. Hypothesis 4: There will be strong metric invariance between the gifted and nongifted groups on the proposed model. Methods for exploring the hypotheses were discussed. Confirmatory factor analysis and multi-group analyses were performed. Discussion of the hypotheses, the limitations of the study, and of future directions for research was conducted. All four hypotheses were supported, although some hypotheses were supported more strongly than others. Scores on the Sensory Profile were weakly correlated with intelligence and achievement scores. Scores on the Sensory Profile were moderately correlated with scores on the Overexcitability Questionnaire II. A model consisting of four latent variables (Overexcitability Questionnaire II, Sensory Profile, intelligence test scores, achievement scores) defined by the scores on their related tests demonstrated adequate fit with empirically collected data. There was strict metric invariance between the gifted and non-gifted groups on the proposed model. Evidence supporting both convergent and divergent validity between the four latent factors was found as a result of the analyses. Further research should be done to examine the validity of the Sensory Profile for use in identifying gifted individuals. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

The purpose of this study was to describe the life experience of adult individuals who are gifted and have Tourette syndrome. Although there is much literature regarding giftedness, it is mostly about children. One can also find literature about Tourette syndrome, but this, too, is mostly about children. There is virtually no literature about the phenomenon of giftedness and Tourette syndrome together, whether it is in the area of children or adults. This study sought to create the beginning of such a body of knowledge, and to give voice to those individuals in our society that are gifted with Tourette syndrome. A more personal reason for the study was to provide children who are gifted and have Tourette syndrome, as well as their parents, with hope-hope for a successful, well-lived life. The results of the study provide educators, employers, and society with a better understanding of individuals who are gifted with Tourette syndrome. Nine in-person participants were interviewed, and eight biographical participants from the literature were discussed. The delimitations of the in-person participants are that each participant is eighteen years of age or older, has a diagnosis of Tourette syndrome, and is gifted because they were either identified as such as a child or via completing a screening tool for identifying gifted adults. Findings of this phenomenological study derived five themes of the lived experience of being GTS (Gifted with Tourette Syndrome). The essence of being GTS is a mysterious one that can be filled with self-acceptance and hope, especially if the individual has knowledge of his GTS and receives support and guidance. It is the interaction between the giftedness and the Tourette syndrome within the individual that creates the Self. It is a blending of the two that creates the whole individual. They cannot be separated out from the whole. Dabrowski's Theory of Positive Disintegration is discussed in relationship to the GTS individual, as are twice-exceptional concepts and issues. More importantly, some voices of the GTS population are now documented in a scientific study which paves the way for future studies. Implications and recommendations for future studies are established. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)