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Discusses research in giftedness and gifted education across a broad spectrum, the results of which lead to a perspective regarding giftedness that differs somewhat from the prevailing descriptions and definitions of gifted students' needs. The author discusses the characteristics of the gifted high school student in terms of divergent behavior, goal orientation, task persistence, intraception, social awareness, and social effectiveness, and presents these characteristics as a guideline for determining appropriate educational programs for gifted pupils. It is suggested that a primary goal of gifted education, in addition to providing both a knowledge and skill foundation, is to enhance self-understanding and social skills. (15 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

Past research has suggested that the personality of gifted adolescents may vary as a function of the specific area of giftedness, the absolute level of giftedness, and the Ss' sex. Mathematical ability is of particular interest, since this ability area is usually stereotyped as being more appropriate for males and may have different effects on the personalities of gifted boys and girls. The present study investigated the self-esteem and self-concepts of 216 7th and 8th graders who were either highly gifted, able, or average in mathematical ability. Results from the Adjective Check List indicate that mathematical ability affected the self-esteem of only girls and that both sex of S and level of ability had an effect on the content of the self-descriptions. Findings do not support the image of the mathematically gifted as uniquely critical or emotionally detached from peers. (20 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

Investigated why dyslexic children with mathematical potential do not perform as well as their nondyslexic counterparts on standardized math tests. A computational test and the Wechsler Memory Scale were administered to 4 groups, each with 27 children (aged 10–14 yrs). The groups were composed of (1) dyslexic Ss who demonstrated high abstract reasoning ability; (2) dyslexic Ss with average reasoning ability, (3) nondyslexic, mathematically gifted Ss; and (4) nondyslexic Ss with average mathematical ability. The performance of the high dyslexic group in abstract reasoning and logical thinking equaled that of the mathematically gifted nondyslexic Ss, while both were superior to the average nondyslexics, who, in turn, were superior to the average dyslexics. There was a significant interaction of dyslexia and giftedness in abstract reasoning, but results suggest that giftedness more than compensated for dyslexia in this ability. The memory skills of all dyslexic Ss were inferior to those of all nondyslexic Ss. It is concluded that tests of abstract reasoning may be used to identify dyslexic children with superior mathematical ability. (21 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

Suggests that because giftedness has often been defined by a score on an intelligence test or a percentile rank on an achievement test, support has been given to the myth that all gifted students are alike. However, research in the last 20 yrs has changed the view of giftedness to a multidimensional set of traits that exist in varying degrees in each individual. Since each gifted student is unique, one type of program is not sufficient for meeting the variety of needs of the gifted/talented students. (6 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

A consistently remarkable relationship between role-taking ability and prosocial behaviors was posited to support the theoretical construct of psychosocial giftedness. Role-taking tasks were given to 20 gifted 3 yr olds (mean IQ 134) in the fall and spring. During the same period, observations were made of their prosocial behaviors—sharing, helping, reacting to distress, and physical affection. In the fall, IQ rather than role-taking ability was the best predictor of prosocial behaviors for this sample. The relationship between IQ and role taking increased from fall to spring and was significant in the spring. However, neither IQ nor role-taking ability were reliable predictors of prosocical behaviors in the spring. Findings suggest that psychosocial giftedness, as posited, may develop somewhat independently of IQ and cognitive role taking, thus aiding the notion of gifted pluralism. (24 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

The distinguishing characteristic of children's giftedness is the evidence of variety of abilities. The relation between general and specific abilities is discussed. Both of these are developed and interrelated in actual activity. A consideration of individual differences is important in understanding giftedness but the study should not be isolated from more general psychological principles. The relation between individual differences and developmental characteristics is a complex one. For one thing, the precise nature of developmental stages is not understood. At present the stages are merely weak descriptions. This is also true of critical periods where specific abilities are evidenced such as language learning. The difficulty of prognosis in development may arise largely out of failure to differentiate between individual and developmental differences. Some of these considerations are used to argue for the communist as opposed to the capitalist organization of society. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

This special issue focuses on the role of motivation in actualizing gifts and talents. Motivation is closely related to the goals we set for our own and others’ learning. All the articles in this special issue contribute to the current research and discussion on motivation and giftedness. Research in these fields must be performed in different ability domains and in various cultural contexts. Cross-cultural comparisons are needed to validate our findings and to test the culture-dependent and culture invariant dimensions of giftedness. We have made an effort to address each of these aspects at least a little bit. However, future studies are needed to explore and evaluate the theories and practices in gifted education and motivation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

During 3 field experience visits, 23 elementary preservice teachers implemented mathematical problem-solving tasks with grade 3–6 gifted students. Researchers investigated what the teachers learned about gifted students regarding student characteristics, mathematical problem-solving tasks, and pedagogy. Each teacher completed a pre- and post-journal, detailing what they expected to occur and then describing what occurred and how their initial expectations were altered. Further, no training was provided regarding gifted students or conceptions of giftedness in previous course-work. Researchers found that teachers broadened their view of giftedness, recognized the need to adapt instruction for gifted students, made efforts to align problem-solving tasks with gifted students' readiness and interests, realized the necessity of knowing students to differentiate instruction, and emphasized student-centered instruction. These results contribute to the promise of having preservice teachers engage in a field experience with gifted students to supplement discussions about gifted education in methods courses. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)

This exploratory study investigates the intersection of bilinguality and giftedness in the public school system in Ontario and the connection between the bilinguality of gifted immigrant minority language (IML) speakers and their giftedness. Following a series of semistructured interviews with gifted pupils and teachers in the gifted program in an Ontario elementary school, it was concluded that the bilinguality of gifted IML students who are literate in their home language is not utilized for either curricular or community-building. Drawing on recent research in psycholinguistics of bilinguality, this paper argues that the bilinguality of gifted IML students constitutes a cognitive asset that should be used for curricular purposes in the gifted program, suggesting potential ways to accommodate the continued bilingual development of the students within the largely monolingual framework of the Ontario curriculum. These potential ways are situated within the current research on biliteracy and critical literacy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)

The contribution presents a summary of information pertaining to adjustment and coping with everyday and specific stressful situations by gifted children, and it describes selected models of coping. On the basis of several studies, there is a presupposition that in social difficulties the gifted use more effective coping strategies than their peers. However, in situations of emotional distress the gifted prefer rather concealment of their negative emotional condition. Being aware of one's giftedness brings mostly social difficulties, which children solve by strategies of social coping focused on visibility of giftedness for the surrounding environment. The frequent inconsistency of individual findings about the adjustment of gifted children can have its root, apart from other things, also in miscellaneous methodological drawbacks of particular researches. The models pertaining to the research of coping try to eliminate these drawbacks,for example, the Multidimensional approach in the research of adjustment of gifted children by J. Richards, J. Encel, and R. Shute, or the SEAM model of coping by C. J. Sowa. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)

Giftedness is a complex multifaceted phenomenon that can be realized taking into account a complex of psychological, psycho-physiological and social factors. The results of the empirical study indicate that gifted adolescents, who live and grow up in a boarding school, experience the emotional tension that negatively influences their activities and development. The identification of giftedness is important for conducting the appropriate psychological correctional activities in order to support gifted adolescent's personality and his/her development. Gifted adolescents that are brought up in the conditions of a boarding school experience a greater level of emotional tension than adolescents with lower level of creativity. Emotional tension gets included in the development of the adolescent personality, producing the negative emotions. The social conditions are among the factors contributing to the high emotional tension of gifted adolescents. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)

The purpose of this study was to examine the attitudes of gifted adolescents toward being labeled as gifted and talented, to evaluate how gifted students perceive that others view their giftedness, and to determine whether these attitudes and perceptions vary depending on the child's level of giftedness. Sixty-six sixth- through eighth-grade public-school students, identified as either gifted or highly gifted, were surveyed on the positive and negative attributes of being labeled gifted and talented. The highly gifted and moderately gifted groups exhibited measurable differences in their perceptions of the positive aspects of the gifted label. Furthermore, the study suggests that negative stereotyping, often associated with the gifted label, can be minimized in a carefully integrated gifted program. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)

While conceptualizations of giftedness have been broadened to include many forms of giftedness, a reconceptualization of gifted programs has not followed. The paper argues that the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education, combining important features of the fields of early childhood education and gifted education, is a good fit for gifted young children. This approach is proposed for gifted young children because of its view of children as competent and full of potential, its emphasis on the development of symbolic languages early in life, and its conduciveness to higher-level thinking. The paper suggests that the Reggio approach not only enhances intellectual development, but also nurtures multiple forms of knowledge representation in early childhood, thus laying foundations for diverse talent development. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)

This article serves as a primer to make the neuroimaging literature more accessible to the lay reader and to increase the evaluative capability of the educated consumer of cognitive neuroscience. This special issue gives gifted education practitioners and researchers a primary source view of current neuroscience relevant to modem definitions and conceptions of giftedness while helping readers understand the methods of modem cognitive neuroscience. A second goal of this special issue is to increase readers' scientific literacy to generate a clearer understanding of both the utility and limitations of neuroimaging studies and a set of operating principles to employ when reading about neuroimaging studies from both primary and secondary sources. The potential for cognitive neuroscience to impact education has been an issue of high interest and rigorous debate, and international communities of educators and scientists have convened to explore potential intersections. Added to this, multiple and myriad definitions of giftedness make the exercise of exploring the nature of human ability and performance psychometrically and scientifically challenging. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)

The CFT 20-R is often used to assess fluid intelligence. Hence, it can also be utilized to assess giftedness. The present study is concerned with an investigation of psychometric properties of the test with respect to measurement invariance between students of normal and higher intelligence. Analyses were conducted both at the item and scale level. A sample of N = 1886 male and female students from the lower, middle, and higher track of the German education system were administered the short form of the CFT 20-R. Comparing students of normal (IQ < 120) and higher (IQ ≥ 120) intelligence, DIF analyses at the item level revealed that measurement invariance was largely observed with respect to item difficulties but not discrimination parameters. Partial strong measurement invariance was observed at the subtest level. The CFT 20-R is therefore well-suited for a first screening of intellectual giftedness. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)

The aim of this study was to explore the effect of level of mathematical giftedness and gender on students' self-concept (represented by personal competence perceptions, fear of negative evaluation and self-esteem), while taking into account their general school achievement. Participants in the study were high school students forming three groups: highly gifted (N = 62), moderately gifted (N = 99) and non-gifted students (N = 77). Mathematically gifted students did not differ from their non-gifted peers in their personal competence, fear of negative evaluation and their self-esteem evaluations. The effect of gender was significant only for the fear of negative evaluation, indicating that female students show more intense fear than their male peers. For the measure of self-esteem significant interaction between gender and mathematical giftedness level was found. For male students the highest self-esteem estimates were in the highly gifted students group and the lowest in the moderately gifted students group. Among the girls, moderately gifted girls had the highest self-esteem followed by highly gifted girls and then, with the lowest self-esteem, by non-gifted. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)

It is of major importance to use psychological tests and questionnaires that are carefully constructed so that their reliability and validity can be determined in different (sub)cultures (Campbell & Tirri, 2004). However, a necessary prerequisite for this is the development of solid conceptual constructs. Otherwise, the researcher runs into the danger of empirically collecting data and loosing touch with reality. A theory-free empirical approach also makes it difficult to relate findings to other psychological research. We first show why and how the Munich Dynamic Ability-Achievement Model (MDAAM) evolved from the Munich Model of Giftedness (MMG). We will then illustrate how the MDAAM can stimulate and structure theoretical and empirical research. The MDAAM can be used as an integrative model of giftedness, talent, expertise, and achievement and could this way bridge the gap between the process-oriented approaches of cognitive studies as well as expertise research and psychometric studies in the field. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)

Definitions of giftedness and self-perceptions of abilities were examined among adults who have been participating in a longitudinal study of academically talented students since their high-school graduation in 1988. For the present study, participants answered open-ended questions and completed scales measuring adult giftedness and adult self-perceptions of abilities in 12 different domains. Gender differences in perceptions were examined. When participants were asked if they believed they were gifted in high school and now, more men than women responded affirmatively to both questions. Further, significant gender differences were identified for perceived competencies in four areas: job competence, nurturance, athletic competence, and morality. Implications of the findings and directions for future research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)

Giftedness researchers have long debated whether there is empirical evidence to support a distinction between giftedness and attained level of achievement. In this paper we propose a general theoretical framework that establishes scientific criteria for acceptable evidence of superior reproducible performance, which any theory of exceptional performance must explain. We review evidence for superior reproducible performance, generally emerging only after extended periods of deliberate practice that result in subsequent physiological adaptations and complex cognitive mechanisms. We also apply this framework to examine proposed evidence for innate talents. With the exception of fixed genetic factors determining body size and height, we were unable to find evidence for innate constraints to the attainment of elite achievement for healthy individuals. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

This study reports on an analysis of the standardization sample of a rating scale designed to assist in identification of gifted students. The Gifted Rating Scales--Preschool/Kindergarten Form (GRS-P) is based on a multidimensional model of giftedness designed for preschool and kindergarten students. Results provide support for: the internal structure of the scale; no age differences across the 3-year age span 4:0-6:11; gender differences on only one of the five scales; artistic talent; and small but statistically significant race/ethnicity differences with Asian Americans rated, on average, 1.5 scale-score points higher than whites and Native Americans and 7 points higher than African American and Hispanic students. The present findings provide support for the GRS-P as a valid screening test for giftedness. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)