Strategic and nonstrategic factors in gifted children's free recall

The present experiment contrasted the recall of gifted and nongifted middle-school children for sets of categorically related items. Subjects were given a single free-recall trial on each of two lists consisting of category-typical and category-atypical words. The typicality of the items for one list was based on each subject's unique typicality ratings, whereas the typicality of the items in the second list was based on adult norms. A preliminary category-rating task indicated that gifted students were somewhat more similar to adults in their ratings of category typicality than nongifted children. Recall was comparable between the gifted and nongifted subjects for typical items, but greater for the gifted subjects for atypical items. The latency between the recall of unrelated words was faster for the gifted than the nongifted children. Subjects were classified as strategic or nonstrategic on the basis of clustering and interitem latencies. Gifted subjects were less apt to be classified as strategic than nongifted subjects on the typical items of the self-generated list; there were no differences in the classification between the gifted and nongifted children for all other contrasts. These results were interpreted as indicating that the cognitive advantage of gifted relative to nongifted children is more apt to be in terms of nonstrategic rather than strategic functioning.     

Attitudes toward science of gifted and nongifted fifth graders

The purpose of this investigation has been to explore whether differences existed between gifted and nongifted fifth graders and between genders and related subgroups with respect to attitudes toward science. Both groups (N = 25) were matched on the demographic characteristics of school-site, race, sex, and socio-economic background. Gifted students were found to have more positive attitudes toward science than nongifted students; however, no significant differences were found. In all cases, boys (all boys, gifted boys, and nongifted boys) exhibited more positive attitudes toward science; again, no significant differences were uncovered between the boys and their counterpart group or subgroups. The item which consistently reflected the most positive rating (gifted students, all boys and gifted boys, and all girls and nongifted girls) was “usefulness of things done in science class.” Items where discrepancies surfaced included “usefulness of science when playing at home” where nongifted students and gifted girls were significantly more positive than their counterparts, and “spending more time doing science experiments” where all boys and gifted boys were significantly more positive than their counterparts.     

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The purpose of this study was to examine the family relationships of gifted and nongifted adolescents. Two hundred two youth were surveyed to determine if differences existed in their amount and types of employment, task time, free time, and family conflicts. Students enrolled in “college prep” English courses were designated as the gifted sample, and students enrolled in “regular” English courses comprised the nongifted sample. Gifted students were found to be employed fewer hours than nongifted students, reported fewer incidents of conflict among family members, and rated the quality of their family relationships significantly higher than nongifted students.     

Maximal performance on divergent thinking tests by gifted,talented, and nongifted children

Explicit instructions to “be creative” often are used to estimate the role of task-perception in divergent thinking test performance; however, previous research on this topic has employed only nongifted individuals. The present investigation compared gifted (n = 97), talented (n = 53), and nongifted (n = 90) intermediate school children in terms of divergent thinking fluency, flexibility, and originality scores elicted by standard and explicit instructions. Results indicated that the scores of all groups were significantly different in the two instructional conditions. More importantly, there was a significant interaction between this instructional effect and children's level of ability. The explicit instructions enhanced the originality scores of the talented and nongifted children more than those of the gifted children; and the same instructions inhibited the fluency and flexibility scores of the gifted children more than those of the talented and nongifted children. These results have important implications for testing creativity and for our understanding of giftedness.     

Social Competencies and Difficulties of Gifted Children Compared to Nongifted Peers

This study, conducted in Israel, examined the social and emotional difficulties of gifted children, in comparison with nongifted children. The gifted children were further compared in two educational settings: segregated classes and pull-out programs. The 974 participants were from the fifth to twelfth grades. The dependent variables included loneliness, social competence, empathy, and self-concept. The results indicated that gifted children score higher on need fulfillment, empathy, academic self-concept, and lack of emotional anxiety and lower on self-disclosure and physical self-concept. Few differences were found between the two settings for gifted children. The conclusion is that gifted children differ from nongifted children only on some of the social–emotional variables examined, mainly for the better.     

Development of metacognitive concepts about thinking in gifted and nongifted children: Recent research

This article provides an overview of recent research in our laboratories on the development of metacognition in gifted and nongifted children. Research examining the development of children's metacognitive knowledge of mental activity concepts, general declarative metacognitive knowledge, and specific metacognitive attributions are reviewed. The present studies found, as had Alexander, Carr, and Schwanenflugel (1995), patterns of gifted and nongifted metacognitive development differed depending on the type of metacognitive knowledge being examined. Specifically, recent research on knowledge of mental activity concepts showed no clear advantages for gifted children over nongifted children. Declarative metacognitive knowledge research continues to support a monotonic advantage hypothesis in which gifted children show consistent advantages over nongifted children during the early elementary school years. This advantage, however, is short-lived due to the possible presence of a ceiling effect showing a closing of the declarative metacognitive knowledge gap between gifted and nongifted children around fourth grade. Finally, recent research on specific metacognitive attributions suggests that more intelligent children develop more sophisticated attributions over time but their ability to use this information may be more dependent on other individual differences variables that may or may not be related to intelligence such as knowledge base familiarity. We conclude that it is important to differentiate the types of metacognitive knowledge being measured in studies as we investigate individual differences in the development of children's metacognitive insights about thinking.     

Construct validity of the K-ABC for gifted children

Fifty-four elementary-age gifted students were administered the K-ABC. To determine construct validity of the test for this population, the factor structure was obtained for mental processing and achievement subtests and then compared to the factor structure obtained for children from the standardization sample via a procedure that determines factor structure similiarity between groups. Except for minor variations, the factor structure for the gifted children was very similar to that for nongifted children in the standardization sample. However, the most parsimonious structure accounted for slightly less than 40% of the shared test variance, which leads to questions about the advisability of educational program planning based on obtained scores.     

On a Pedestal: effects of intellectual‐giftedness and some implications for programme planning

The popular notion that gifted children are immune from adjustment problems because of their high intelligence has relegated this research area to a secondary concern. In this study, self‐esteem, social isolation, locus of control, alienation and anxiety as indices of psychosocial adjustment were explored among the gifted and nongifted adolescents in three secondary schools. The findings suggest that some gifted adolescents are more susceptible than the nongifted to various dysphoric and adjustment crises. The author contends that preventive guidance is necessary to assist gifted adolescents in developing appropriate coping skills. The conclusions are brought together in a discussion of some implications for gifted programme planning.     

A Longitudinal Study of Intellectual and Creative Development in Gifted Primary School Children

This research was carried out as part of the Moscow‐Munich Longitudinal Study of Giftedness, and is based on a multidimensional giftedness concept. A total of 73 gifted students in the first grade (7‐8 years old) were selected from 650 students with the help of a two stage procedure, using teachers' checklists and the Russian version of the KFT, a test of intellectual abilities, and a test of creativity. A control group of the same age consisted of 76 unselected pupils. The groups were tested using the same methods in 1991, 1992 and 1993. Intellectual abilities, creativity, motivation, and other personal characteristics were observed. Significant differences between gifted and nongifted students were found in intellectual domains; there were no sex differences in the cognitive sphere, but teachers considered the girls more gifted than the boys; a relationship between cognitive and personal factors was revealed but this was not very stable. The results demonstrated that gifted students need special support and education.     

Mentors’ contributions to gifted adolescents’ affective,social, and vocational development

Research on mentorships for gifted adolescents primarily has focused on the role mentors play in students’ academic success. Mentors’ contribution to gifted adolescents’ affective, social, and vocational development rarely has been addressed. This article identifies special needs and characteristics of gifted adolescents in these latter areas, and suggests how mentors can play a significant role in each, including the particular value of mentoring relationships for gifted adolescent females. Finally, educational implications are explored, as well as the need for empirical studies which examine the benefits derived by gifted and nongifted mentees from mentoring relationships.     

SOCIAL AND PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTICS OF GIFTED STUDENTS

This study aimed at investigating the relationship between intellectual, social, personal and personality variables of academically gifted secondary school students. A total of 297 tenth grade boys and girls were identified on the basis of three main criteria: 1. Academic achievement with special emphasis on Arabic language, science and math scores; 2. Behavioural traits; 3. General mental ability and general adjustment. Data related to socioeconomic status and personal characteristics were also collected. Results of the analysis of variance showed that there were significant differences between gifted and nongifted groups in general mental ability, achievement, general adjustment, behavioural traits, personal and social variables, in favour of the former.     

Understanding Gender Differences in Thinking Styles of Gifted Children

The accuracy of the Brigance K&1 screen in the early detection of Head Start children with possible cognitive/academic giftedness, was explored in this study. Data were collected from a sample of 134 children, 13 of whom were identified as potentially gifted on the basis of performance on the K‐ABC. Potentially gifted children performed significantly better on the Brigance than nongifted children. Group differences were large and exceeded one standard deviation on the 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 K&1 screen has good sensitivity (>80%) and acceptable specificity (>70%) in relation to concurrent and predictive cognitive/academic outcomes. Teacher ratings were ineffective in detecting potentially gifted children. The K&1 screen may be helpful in the early detection of low‐income children who may be cognitively/academically gifted.     

Gifted Chinese girls get the best mix of family processes to bolster their math achievement

This chapter describes three studies with samples of 5th- and 6th-grade students (781 gifted and 895 nongifted) enrolled in elementary schools in Taipei, Taiwan. Two of the studies analyzed the effects of SES, family structure variables, family processes, math self-concept, and prior ability on children's math achievement; the third concerned a qualitative study of 95 gifted children and their parents. The results of these studies show tha SES variables influence family processes in a number of important ways. Better educated families administer less pressure and more support, and both processes contribute to children's achievement. Another important findings is that Chinese traditions moderate the parents use of specific family processes. Girls enrolled in typical classes perceive less parental pressure, less support, less help, and less intellectual resources. In a sense, these girls are academically neglected, but this does not hurt their math achievement because they do not perceive as much dysfunctional pressure and help from their parents. Gifted girls get the best mix of parental influences and academic opportunities.     

Self‐reports in Research on High Ability

Self‐reports are particularly suitable for research with the gifted, who are often self‐aware and articulate. By this means, features which could otherwise be missed by standardised tests and observations can add greatly both to the richness of the data and to their validity. However, because of the great variety, unexpectedness and complexity of responses, there are problems of collection and analysis, such as distortion by reporter or researcher. Verbal protocol analysis is suggested as one solution. A 14‐year study in Britain using self‐reports, along with a battery of standardised tests, compared gifted and (otherwise matched) nongifted youngsters (N= 210). This supplied information, unobtainable by other means, on, for instance, the subjective aspects of academic acceleration, teacher‐pupil relationships, the effects of labelling, and intellectual strategies of the gifted. These insights are valuable for care of the gifted and for policy making.     

Smart Kids With Learning Disabilities: Overcoming Obstacles and Realizing Potential Weinfield,R., Barnes-Robinson,L., Jeweler,S., & Roffman Shevitz,B. (2013)

Basal reading manuals have been found to be utilized with gifted readers (Cagney &; Sakiey, 1984). Therefore, this study attempted to determine if the eight components delineated to be more important to gifted than nongifted readers by reading and gifted educators in the Dole and Adams (1983) study were included in basal materials. Three basal series were examined and it was found that seven of the eight components were included, mainly in the enrichment section of the manual. Therefore, basal manuals can meet the needs of gifted readers if utilized appropriately.     

Spatial visualization, visual imagery, and mathematical problem solving of students with varying abilities

The purpose of this study was to investigate students' use of visual imagery and its relationship to spatial visualization ability while solving mathematical word problems. Students with learning disabilities (LD), average achievers, and gifted students in sixth grade (N = 66) participated in this study. Students were assessed on measures of mathematical problem solving, visual imagery representation, and spatial visualization ability. The results indicated that gifted students performed better on both spatial visualization measures than students with LD and average-achieving students. Use of visual images was positively correlated with higher mathematical word-problem-solving performance. Furthermore, the use of schematic imagery was significantly and positively correlated with higher performance on each spatial visualization measure; conversely, it was negatively correlated with the use of pictorial images.     

Comparison of personality profiles for intellectually gifted students and students outstanding in the fine and performing arts attending self-contained secondary schools

The study included 199 intellectually gifted students and 176 students in the fine and performing arts who were administered the High School Personality Questionnaire. The results indicated that the gifted students obtained higher Leadership Potential scores, while the talented students scored higher in Creativity. Several significant differences were found in the personality profiles of the two groups.     

The Possession and Use of Toys in Elementary‐School Boys and Girls: does giftedness make a difference?

This study investigates whether gifted children differ from non‐gifted regarding the possession and use of toys and whether gifted are less affected by traditional gender roles in these two variables. The parents of 286 fourth‐grade elementary school students (151 intellectually gifteds [IQ >= 130] and 135 children of average intelligence) responded to a list of 30 toy groups. It was assessed (a) which toys are present in the household and (b) how often they are used by the child. The analysis revealed that only the use of toys typical for boys displayed a mildly significant effect for giftedness. Dramatic gender effects were found: with the exception of the use of athletic equipment and group games, both groups exhibited gender‐specific toy possession and toy use to an equal degree.     

Using teacher ratings of social behavior to differentiate gifted from non‐gifted students

This study investigated the effectiveness of teacher ratings of student social behavior in differentiating a group of 81 elementary‐age gifted students from a control group of 81 age and gender matched non‐gifted students. The School Social Behavior Scales, a recently developed set of rating scales that assesses both social competence and antisocial behavior, was used for the ratings. Gifted students were rated as having significantly higher levels of social competence and lower levels of antisocial behavior than the comparison group, and the individual scores of the gifted students were significantly skewed in the direction of better social‐behavioral adjustment. The findings also indicated the presence of a small subset of gifted students who appeared to have extremely poor social competence and high levels of problem behaviors. The results are compared to previous research on the psychosocial development of gifted children, and important areas for future research on this topic are recommended.