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Gifted children, those with unusually high ability in one or more domains, not only develop more rapidly than typical children, but also appear to be qualitatively different. They have an intense drive to master, require little explicit tuition, and, if intellectually gifted, often pose deep philosophical questions. Although some psychologists have tried to account for the achievements of gifted individuals solely in terms of drive or "deliberate practice," no evidence allows us to rule out innate differences in talent. Profiles of gifted individuals are often uneven: Extremely high ability in 1 area can coexist with ordinary or even subnormal ability in another area. Scientific investigation of the gifted reveals the importance of drive and hard work in achievement of any kind, and the lack of necessary correlation among abilities in different areas. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

Investigated the extent to which students' common practical abilities relate to academic abilities. 154 gifted and 142 mainstream 8th grade students completed interviews and questionnaires concerning common sense intelligence. Additional collected data included academic achievement records. Results show that practical intelligence was correlated very little with academic achievement. No definitive pattern of relationship between Ss' perceptions of the effectiveness of practical problem-solving strategies and their academic achievement emerged. Low correlations were obtained between problem-solving strategies and academic achievement. Despite academic ability, Ss with high practical intelligence displayed a heightened sense of self and a keener awareness of the hidden curriculum and larger goals of schools. Findings suggest that academically gifted children were similar to mainstream children in their ability to solve practical problems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

Addresses the issues that have perpetuated the under-representation of African Americans in gifted and talented programs. These issues include inadequate definitions, standardized testing, nomination procedures, learning style preferences, family and peer influences, screening and identification, and gifted underachievers. The article concludes with a discussion on alternative theories of giftedness and the implementation of multicultural education in teacher preparatory programs. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)

The accuracy of the Brigance K & 1 screen in the early detection of Head Start children with possible cognitive/academic giftedness, was explored. Data were collected from a sample of 134 children (aged 52–69 mo), 13 of whom were identified as potentially gifted on the basis of performance on the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children. Potentially gifted children performed significantly better on the Brigance than nongifted children. Group differences were large and exceeded 1 standard deviation on the Brigance K & 1 total score. Classification analyses indicated that use of the technical manual criteria underreferred potentially gifted children. However, use of local criteria established that the Brigance K & 1 screen has good sensitivity and acceptable specificity in relation to concurrent and predictive cognitive/academic outcomes. Teacher ratings were ineffective in detecting potentially gifted children. The Brigance K & 1 screen may be helpful in the early detection of low-income children who may be cognitively/academically gifted. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)

Discusses what is described as a critical area in cognitive neuropsychology in the coming century, that of individual differences in the structure and functional organization of the brain and how they relate to individual differences in cognitive abilities. Examples are related to the neuropsychology of giftedness, specifically the possible origins of the specialized functional organization in the mathematically gifted brain. Implications for education are discussed (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved)

Comments on J. Renzulli's article on the education of gifted individuals (see record 199908263-001). The author states that Renzulli's Enrichment Triad and School Wide Enrichment Model (SEM) models are considered even by critics of gifted education to be supportive of broader inclusion of students from diverse backgrounds. Yet such students continue to be under represented in programs for the gifted. A sociocultural perspective makes integral the issue of program impact on inclusiveness. Addressing questions regarding access, generalizability, long-range impact, and curriculum implications of Triad and SEM models would bring greater clarity to the field. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

This author provides reflections on the last 25 years of his work, focusing on the evolutions of models designed to help identify and meet the needs of gifted and talented students. The cited models include the Three Ring Conception of Giftedness, the Enrichment Triad Model, and the Schoolwide Enrichment Model. Summaries focus on the rationale supporting each model, including practical applications of the model in various school situations and underlying research. Also included are insights related to potential modifications and future developments of the models. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)

Adolescents, especially gifted students, may be susceptible to existential dread. It is suggested here that a team approach, including both teachers and parents, be used to implement the following solutions: (a) nourish students socially, (b) work toward acceptance of giftedness and teach methods of enhancing emotional development, and (c) provide philosophical nurturance. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

This study compares two groups of gifted students, highly ( N = 74) and moderately ( N = 163) gifted, on a number of scales including self-concept, emotional autonomy, and anxiety. Although a measure of academic ability was used to create distinctive ability groups, the results did not support the hypotheses that highly gifted students would be more likely to display lower self-concepts and more adjustment problems than the moderately gifted group. These findings are examined in light of past research on differences in highly and moderately gifted students. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)

Examines the nature of musical precocity in 24 10–14-yr old middle school students. The participants were asked questions, individually and in focus groups, regarding the nature of crystallizing experiences, or dramatic events that reveal inherent giftedness. Results support the notion that the crystallizing experience is a common phenomenon among the musically precocious. Also reported were long-term effects on the student's self-concept. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

Following a review of adult models of leadership and of leadership programs for young people that are derived from adult theories of leadership, this article report results from a decade-long study in underserved and at-risk communities of young people who are leaders in out-of- school youth organizations. The study involved 30,000 youths (8–28 yrs old) in 120 youth-based organizations in regional sites from Massachusetts to Hawaii. Data was collected by means of field notes and interviews. The work reveals how emerging youth leadership differs from established measures and leadership theories drawn from adults. Views and enactments of leadership among the young focus on how leadership happens, not on who leaders are as power figures, skillful managers, or individuals bearing specific traits. These perspectives from youth carry strong links to recent work in cognitive psychology and organizational sociology that maintains the importance of adaptation, engagement with situation, and distribution of knowledge and roles. The findings from this empirical study, along with recent developments in learning theory, call for substantial rethinking of youth leadership within the framework of gifted and talented education. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

Comments on the article by J. A. Sloboda and M. J. Howe (see record 1991-30071-001) examining the backgrounds of promising young musicians. Gagné demonstrates that the authors incorrectly interpreted their data because they did not acknowledge the role of musical giftedness as a significant determinant of the large differences observed in their sample between exceptional and average students. Gagné intends to show that their results cannot be correctly interpreted without introducing musical aptitudes as a significant causal factor. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

It is challenging to diagnose adults who are highly intelligent and also manifest symptoms of AD/HD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) that have significant impact on their daily functioning. Gifted traits, such as intensity, high energy, complexity of thought, and creativity overlap with some traits of AD/HD, making identification difficult. This article shows how AD/HD may appear in adults who are also gifted and how giftedness may mask diagnosis of AD/HD in adults. It offers six themes to help clarify the presence of AD/HD among gifted adults. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

This article presents an example within clinical counseling of a highly gifted 19 yr old male student, whose academic capabilities fall in the 99.9th percentile. He entered therapy with a desire to understand his presenting problem of academic decline over the past several years of high school as well as to deal with the impact of his decline, both on his emotional development and his academic future. An analyzed transcript is presented in which the therapist leads him to recognize and confront his defenses and discover the depth of his emotional distress regarding his current life disposition. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

Summarizes a longitudinal study of exceptionally gifted 12–13 yr old males, with particular emphasis on findings involving their creative potential. The longitudinal investigation was originally performed by R. Albert (1980) with 2 exceptionally gifted samples. These samples represented equivalent levels of ability but different areas or domains of talent. One was exceptionally gifted math and science, the other was a high-IQ group (mean = 155). Data were collected from the children and the parents. Group differences in expectations of independence, psychological inventory scales, and divergent thinking test scores are summarized. Relations among predictors are also discussed, as are relations with indexes of creative potential. In addition to group differences, notable findings include the strong relation between mothers' expectations for their son's independence and the divergent thinking of the sons and the high flexibility scores of the exceptionally gifted samples on the psychological inventory scales. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

Conducted a longitudinal study of the cognitive and noncognitive personality development of mentally gifted vs average high school students. 120 male and female 9th graders in Russia were subdivided into a gifted group (60 Ss) and a control group (60 Ss). Ss were assessed 3 times during 1 academic year with teacher checklists, a test of cognitive abilities, a test of verbal creativity, a questionnaire for gifted students, a test on information-processing speed, a questionnaire on extracurricular activities and achievements, and a questionnaire on academic motivation. The results demonstrated stable differences in the cognitive and noncognitive personality development of Ss with different kinds and levels of giftedness and learning success. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

Perfectionism is the most misunderstood aspect of the personality of the gifted. The psychological field characterizes it in extremely negative ways, which may be counterproductive to the development of the gifted individual. There are positive as well as negative aspects of perfectionism, depending on how it is channeled. As one gains higher consciousness, perfectionism becomes a catalyst for self-actualization and humanitarian ideals. K. Dabrowski's theory allows us to see how perfectionism changes inform at different levels of development. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

The Personal Development Test is designed to identify the "at-risk" high school and college freshmen student for dropping out of school. In repeated tests the PDT scores were able to discern between high school and college drop-out students and corresponding typical individuals. In addition, it provides a meaningful index of honesty, and serves to identify the gifted individuals. This is done through the use of 21 Pairs of items from the test scored separately as a Confluence core. Half of those items are opposites, and the other half are at odds to each other in varying degrees; so if an individual scores one of the pairs one way, and fails to score the second item in the pair the opposite, the scores are at odds to fact. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)

The author discusses the issue of publishing scientific archives, which has at least two aspects--scientific and ethical. The scientific aspect involves evaluation of the significance of materials for the development of science. This aspect acquires additional importance when archival research discovers opinions which conflict with the publicized version presented in the papers published in the author's lifetime. The ethical side of the problem consists in the inability to answer the question whether the author ever wanted to see his views published. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)

Introduces the current issue of High Ability Studies, which will mark the premiere of an exceptional format for presenting and discussing new ideas: A target article and peer commentaries. The editorial provides information on submission of electronic manuscripts, and overviews the articles appearing in the current issue of the journal which cover topics including WICS as a model for giftedness, emotional and behavioural adjustment of the gifted, and career orientations of gifted early adolescent girls. In addition, the editorial previews the content of the upcoming issue of High Ability Studies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)