<div>In 1972, visual arts giftedness was recognized as an aspect of giftedness that needed to be nurtured and developed (Marland, 1972). However, students with gifts and talents in visual arts continued to be overlooked in the field of gifted education. Addressing these gaps in the field of gifted art education, I conducted a mixed methods study to examine the issues. The quantitative part of the study consisted of developing a survey instrument, Perceptions about Art Giftedness, and conducting an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to investigate construct validity of the instrument. The initial instrument consisted of 23 items. Due to the focus of the study and the specificity of the survey, it was necessary to be selective in recruiting the participants. The inclusion criteria are: (a) they must be art teachers in an arts school or a public school that serves middle or high school grade levels; and/or (b) they must be teaching visual arts or fine arts. A total of 150 participants completed the survey. For the qualitative part of the study, I contacted the participants who completed the survey and asked if they were willing to be interviewed (n=11). Since this was an exploratory study, I began with the qualitative analysis. Three major themes were developed from the qualitative analysis: (a) attitudes and behaviors aligned with Art, (b) attitudes and behaviors aligned with giftedness, and (c) the participants’ use of the selection process and the limitations. These themes highlighted how differently art teachers perceived visual art giftedness from the common understanding about giftedness and the importance of creative behaviors in art giftedness. Additionally, these art teachers also commented on the similarities between visual arts giftedness and conventional understanding of giftedness. They shared examples of characteristics, such as being self-directed and able to work independently that they observed among their gifted art students. From the quantitative analysis, the EFA results indicated a two-factor model with Factor 1 had a Cronbach's Alpha of .89 and Factor 2 has a Cronbach's Alpha of .91, suggesting that they were reliable estimates of the data’s internal consistency. After examining the factor loading for the items, four items were eliminated due cross-loading and low communalities. Of the 19 items were retained, 10 items (.467 to .895) loaded onto Factor 1 and nine items (-.451 to -.937) loaded onto Factor 2. After examining the items for each of the factor and based on the results from the qualitative analysis, new descriptors were developed. Factor 1 (dispositions towards creative giftedness) consisted of items focusing the artistic attitudes and behaviors demonstrated by students who were gifted in visual arts. Factor 2 (dispositions towards conventional giftedness) contained items focusing on attitudes and behaviors that were traditionally associated with giftedness. In summation, results from qualitative and quantitative analysis helped to illustrate how participants were looking for characteristics in gifted visual arts students that goes beyond those highlighted by researchers in gifted education. The participants were not only focused on creative behaviors when identifying gifted art students, but they were also looking for conventional gifted characteristics; such as self-directedness, independence, and task commitment. The participants recognized that for students with gifts and talents in visual arts to develop their potential, they would need to possess both sets of characteristics. Interestingly, although there was consensus among the participants about the characteristics and behaviors observed in gifted art students, there was no agreement among them when asked about specific art making skills.</div>

Contexte. Les infractions à caractère sexuel ont fortement augmenté dans les dernières années et les personnes mineures en sont les principales victimes. Un grand intérêt est accordé aux distorsions cognitives dans le champ de la recherche en délinquance sexuelle. Cependant, très peu d’études se sont intéressées aux dimensions mesurées par l’un des instruments les plus utilisés : l’échelle de cognitions Molest (ÉCM ; Bumby, 1996). Peu d’études se sont également intéressées au lien entre les distorsions cognitives et la carrière criminelle des auteurs d’infractions à caractère sexuel sur personnes mineures (AICSM). Objectif. L’objectif du présent mémoire est d’explorer les dimensions mesurées par l’ÉCM et les comparer aux résultats d’études précédentes. Il est aussi question d’étudier le lien entre les distorsions cognitives mesurées par l’ÉCM et la carrière criminelle des AICSM. Méthodes. L’échantillon est composé de 1232 hommes adultes AICSM étant suivis au Centre d’intervention en délinquance sexuelle (CIDS) de Laval. Les participants ont tous complété l’ÉCM lors de leur suivi au centre. Résultats. Les résultats indiquent que quatre dimensions émergent de l’ÉCM et que certaines distorsions cognitives telles que mesurées par cet instrument sont liées aux différents paramètres de carrière criminelle des individus composant l’échantillon, incluant la récidive violente et sexuelle. / Background. Sexual offenses have increased sharply in recent years and minors are the main victims. There is considerable interest in cognitive distortions in the field of sexual offending research. However, very few studies have focused on the dimensions measured by one of the most widely used instruments: the MOLEST Cognitions Scale (Bumby, 1996). Few studies have also looked at the link between cognitive distortions and the criminal careers of people who have sexually offended against a minor (PSOM). Objective. The objective of the present study is to explore the dimensions measured by the MOLEST scale and compare them with the results of previous studies. It also investigates the relationship between cognitive distortions measured by the MOLEST scale and PSOMs’ criminal careers. Methods. The sample consisted of 1,232 adult men who sexually offended on a minor and were being treated at the Intervention centre in sexual delinquency (ICSD) in Quebec (Canada). All participants completed the MOLEST cognition scale during their treatment at the ICSD. Results. Findings indicate that four dimensions emerge from the MOLEST scale, and that certain cognitive distortions as measured by this instrument are related to the different criminal career parameters of sample, including violent and sexual recidivism.