In this study of 120 early adolescents (59 girls, 61 boys), 81 of whom were identified as gifted, overall psychosocial maturity (or social-perspective coordination) was measured and related to academic ability and adolescents' perceptions of friendship quality and self-concept. Gifted status, sex, and grade significantly* predicted overall psychosocial maturity in multiple regression analyses. Conversely, as a group, overall social-perspective coordination, perceptions of one's ability to make and keep friends (close friendship self-concept), academic ability, sex, and grade level predicted the overall quality of adolescents' friendships. Being a female, seventh grader, or adolescent not identified as gifted, significantly predicted friendship quality. In addition, higher developmental levels of psychosocial maturity and close friendship self-concept predicted higher levels of friendship quality. Finally, when a measure of interpersonal negotiation strategies in hypothetical situations was entered into the prediction model in place of overall psychosocial competence, it appeared to be a better predictor of friendship quality. Specifically, higher levels of psychosocial competence were associated with higher levels of help, closeness, and lower levels of social comparison in friendship experiences. Likewise, the ability to think of higher levels of negotiation strategies was associated with higher levels of closeness and help, and with lower levels of social comparison and conflict in friendship experiences. / *Throughout the text, the term significance refers to statistical significance, rather than a meaning of importance.

The purpose of this study was to identify a relationship between sensation seeking and underachievement. Archival data of seventy seven students of the Indiana Academy were collected. It was hypothesized that scores on the Sensation Seeking Scale would negatively correlate with grade point average. It was also hypothesized that Sensation Seeking Scale scores would be associated with incidents of academic probation, behavioral problems, and withdrawal from the Indiana Academy. A weak yet significant negative correlation was found between Total Sensation Seeking scores and grade point average. A slightly stronger negative correlation was found between the Disinhibition subscale of the Sensation Seeking Scale and grade point average. Total Sensation Seeking scores were associated with incidents of behavioral problems, but were not associated with incidents of academic probation or withdrawal from the Indiana Academy. Disinhibition subscale scores were associated with incidents of behavioral problems and withdrawal from the Indiana Academy. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services

The purpose of this research study was to identify which dimensions of self-concept were predictive of depression and anxiety in gifted adolescents in a residential academic setting. Additionally, this study compared mean scores of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-Adolescents (MMPI-A; Butcher, et, al, 1992) to normative data. A total of 278 high school juniors and seniors from the Indiana Academy completed both the Self Description Questionnaire III (Marsh, 1984) and the MMPI-A. After screening data on the basis of MMPI-A validity scales, the final sample of 222 students consisted of 128 females and 94 males.Simultaneous multiple regression analyses were conducted to identify which dimensions of self-concept were related to depression and anxiety. Frequency data was generated to compare the MMPI-A profiles to normative scores.Three dimensions of self-concept; Same-Sex, Emotional Stability, and General Self-Esteem were found to predict depression. Five dimensions of self-concept; Verbal, Problem-Solving Ability, Same-Sex, Emotional Stability, and General Self-Esteem were found to predict anxiety. Frequency data showed 10% of the sample fell in the clinically elevated range on the MMPI-A Depression scale and only 6% of the sample fell in the clinically elevated range on the MMPI-A Anxiety scale.Future research on protective factors in gifted youth should utilize a more heterogeneous sample. In addition, future research should be longitudinal in order to identify causality in the relationship. Implications for counseling psychologists include providing social skills training to enhance social self-concept. Additional implications include providing programming to increase opportunities to practice social skills. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services

This study examined the friendships between gifted and regular adolescents to determine if competition was related to the quality and stability of their friendship. Sullivan (1953) had predicted that competition harmed friendship, but this has not been tested empirically. Thirty-eight gifted and 38 regular friendship dyads from grades seven and eight were recruited from two high schools in Quebec and one in Ontario. Competition was defined in terms of competitive goal orientation. Students who competed in order to improve their performance on a task were rated as more task-oriented. Those who competed in order to show superiority over others were rated as more other-referenced. Competitive goal orientation differed for gifted and regular students. Classroom teachers, physical education teachers, and peers rated gifted students as being more task-oriented and regular students as being more other-referenced in their competitive styles across both scholastic and athletic domains. Being more task-oriented was related to having less negative friendship quality (i.e., fewer conflicts), more friendly competition, and for gifted students only, more friendship stability. Conversely, being more other-referenced was related to more negative friendship qualities and, for gifted students only, unstable friendships. Additionally, friends who reported positive friendship qualities at the end of the school year remained friends over the summer more so than friends who reported negative friendship qualities. However, during the school year, when friends saw each other regularly, the quality of their friendship was not related to whether or not they remained friends. Surprisingly, the friendships of regular adolescents had more positive qualities (companionship, help, security, closeness) than the friendships of gifted adolescents. No difference in friendship stability was found between the groups. Practical implications for teachers include avoiding forms

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Toronto, 2007. / Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 46-06, page: 2973.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--University of North Texas, August, 2008. / Title from title page display. Includes bibliographical references.

No description available.

No description available.

This study utilized a pluralistic approach to examine self-concepts and social comparison processes of students entering the Indiana Academy for Mathematics, Science, and Humanities-a residential program for high school juniors and seniors. Following the Big-Fish-Little-Pond-Effect (BFLPE) theory it was hypothesized that, as students compared themselves to a homogeneous, high-ability group, their academic self-concepts would decrease. Social self-concepts, however, were hypothesized to increase due to being with "equal peers."The Self Description Questionnaire III was used to measure students' academic and social self-concepts prior to arrival at the Indiana Academy, during the first week of the fall semester, and during the first week of the spring semester. Sixty-seven students participated in all three data collections.Repeated measures analysis indicated that academic self-concepts (Mathematics, Verbal, and Problem Solving) decreased dsignificantly from summer to fall to spring. Overall Academic self-concept decreased for all students between summer and fall, but only students with a history of prior rigorous education experienced a significant decrease from fall to spring.Analysis of social self-concept indicate that Opposite Sex Relationship scores did not change significantly over time. Same Sex Relationships, however, decreased significantly from fall to spring for students with a prior history of rigorous education.The second part of the study consisted of interviews with sixteen students. Interviews were conducted during the first two weeks and around the ninth week of the fall semester. Emerging from this data were four themes: No mention of social comparison processes; Recognition that the BFLPE already occurred; Recognition that the BFLPE would occur and mindset/cognition would change; and Recognition that the BFLPE would occur but no anticipation of change in self-concept was noted.Exploratory examination suggests the possibility of sex differences-only females failed to mention social comparisons, more females mentioned change in mindset or cognition, all but one of the students in the "No change anticipated" category were male. While both sexes were similarly affected by the change in social comparison and decrease in self-concepts, the qualitative data suggests that differences in thought processes may exist. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services

Academically talented college students have unique development needs that often go unmet. One area that is currently attracting more attention in the academically talented literature is career counseling. The purpose of the present study was to compare the effectiveness of individual and group career counseling interventions. Subjects included 54 students from a special Texas program that provides the opportunity for gifted students to attend college during their final two years of high school. One instrument used assessed identity, confidence, career goals, and professional identity. The second instrument evaluated whether the subjects had recently discussed career concerns, were seeing a vocational counselor, or seeking career information. A pre-test was followed by group or individual intervention, and a post-test was conducted two months later. Results indicated an overall decrease on the instrument assessing professional identity and career goals. This study revealed no difference in effectiveness between group or individual interventions. Further research in this area is necessary to develop and refine the most effective career counseling interventions for the academically talented student.