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This study reexamined ability differences on Luchin's (1942) water-jar test, a problem-solving task based on Gestalt theory. On this task a "set" or method of solution is assumed to be induced through the prior solving of a series of problems which require a common solution pattern. Researchers employing this task have generally discriminated between subjects who appear to have formed a "set" on the initial questions and subjects who do not appear to have formed the set. Subjects regarded as not forming the set have generally not been involved in all the analysis since the effect of the set on solution to subsequent questions cannot be analyzed if the set is not formed. / In a previous study using the water-jar task, some generalizations were made about the thinking processes of gifted and nongifted children without regard to whether or not they formed the set. The present study reexamined the relations among metacognitive knowledge, speed and giftedness taking into account set formation. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

The study compared the brain electrical activity of two groups of gifted children between the ages of 9 and 13 years. The electroencephalogram (EEG) was recorded with eyes closed: "at rest" and during three simple cognitive tasks. Significant differences were found in absolute power in the resting state EEG between the gifted high achievers and non-gifted, age-matched peers. No significant differences were found between the gifted underachievers and age-matched peers. Significant differences were found in absolute and relative power during the word recognition task compared to the resting EEG. No significant differences were found in the comparisons of the topographic maps for the other cognitive tasks and the resting EEG. Results suggest that topographic mapping of brain activity may provide an educational method for discriminating among children of different cognitive abilities. Implications for education are discussed and suggestions for further research are given.

While the concept of multipotentiality is often referred to in the giftedness literature, implicit and explicit definitions of the concept change from author to author. Additionally, few empirical studies have been done to provide support for the many anecdotal claims made about multipotentiality. The present nine-year follow-up study (N = 180) of gifted youth (mean age = 20.2 years) provides evidence that many gifted individuals may indeed be multipotentialed. The definition of multipotentiality ("the ability and desire to pursue different activities and goals") used to operationalize the concept was validated by six experts in the field. Degree of multipotentiality was found to be significantly related to SES, verbal IQ, variety of interests and abilities, participation in leisure activities, answer-seeking, attitude towards school, and several scores derived from the 1993/94 administration of the Strong Interest Inventory. Multipotentiality was not, however, found to be related to Holland's (1985) concepts of differentiation, consistency, or vocational identity. It thus appears that experience with activities and perhaps motivation to learn contribute to the phenomenon of multipotentiality. Little evidence was found to support the contention reported in the giftedness literature that multipotentiality leads to career indecision. Additionally, few career-related experiences were found to differentiate between more or less "successful" multipotentialed subjects, although those who scored highest on the Vocational Identity Scale were more active in their career deciding (prioritizing and focusing interests) and less likely to view career planning as a frustrating and on-going process. Direction of causality for all of the mentioned results is unknown, and many avenues for future research including nongifted subjects have been illuminated.

<p> Although previous studies have acknowledged the role of teacher training in working with children with special needs, none have investigated the relationship between teacher training and referrals. There is a need to understand the factors that affect K-12 classroom teachers' referrals of twice exceptional (2E) students into gifted programs. Supported by the optimal stimulation theory, the purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if there is a relationship between teacher training and 2E student referrals. The survey method was used to collect data from 102 K-12 teachers in the Ohio school district on their teaching credentials, ranging from no training to being certified to teach gifted children.The teachers read a vignette about a hypothetical student who had an emotional behavior disorder and indicated their decision for referral. Phi and Cramer's V tested the validity of the hypothesis that teachers will make referrals according to their level of training. A binary logistic regression was performed to determine which factors predicted the referral of the hypothetical 2E student described in the vignette and the number of self-reported referrals during the previous year. Teachers who received training in the education and learning of exceptional students beyond the current level of degree for K-12 teachers were significantly more likely to refer 2E students to their school's gifted program. Teachers who received advanced training in working with exceptional students were significantly more likely to have made referrals of 2E students during the previous academic year. The results of this study can initiate positive social change by aiding teacher-educators or leaders in education to make specific recommendations for teacher training in an attempt to respond to the needs of 2E students. </p>

The purpose of this study was to determine if the emotional intelligence of gifted adolescents contributes significantly to their social and academic success, and specifically if emotional intelligence was of importance above and beyond traditional psychometric intelligence (IQ). This study tested the claims of Goleman (1995) who argued that emotional intelligence was critical to our understanding of human success, and often times more important than IQ. A group of 39 adolescents (mean age = 16 years 6 months) who were enrolled in a residential high school for gifted youths participated.The Adolescent Multifactor Emotional Intelligence Scale (AMEIS) (Mayer, Salovey, and Caruso, 1996) and the Test of Cognitive Skills (2nd ed.) (CTB MacMillan/McGraw-Hill, 1993) were utilized to attain overall levels of emotional intelligence and IQ, respectively. The Behavior Assessment System for Children - Self-Report - Adolescent Version (BASC-SRP-A) (Reynolds & Kamphaus, 1992) was used to measure two types of social success: interpersonal relations and social stress. Academic success was determined by student grade point averages.The results of hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that emotional intelligence did not contribute significantly to the social and academic success for these gifted adolescents. These results suggest that Goleman's argument about the significance of emotional intelligence may be overstated, at least when studying this sample of gifted adolescents. However, future research will need to address the need for improved measurement of emotional intelligence, possibly studying specific components of emotional intelligence. Larger samples that include gifted students from more common settings may also help clarify the importance of emotional intelligence in this population. / Department of Educational Psychology

<p> The purpose of the study was to explore the current perceptions of adults who were enrolled in the gifted program of the St. Louis Public Schools in the fall of 1959 or spring of 1960. At this time in history the Cold War was a reality and the U.S. enacted the National Defense Education Act (NDEA) to find talented young people and give them the opportunity to excel academically. The program in this research was already in place when the NDEA was put into effect. A pool of 62 potential subjects was identified and 33 accepted the invitation to participate. The research question was, "How did the St. Louis Public Schools gifted program contribute to the lived experience of the students who started in the program in 1959 and 1960?" </p><p> A multiple case study method was determined to be the best fit for this study. Interviews were conducted in person, by telephone or by e-mail. From the interview transcriptions, the story of each case contributed to a bigger story of all the cases. </p><p> After completing the interviews and data analysis, seven themes emerged: expectations, social, label, spiritual/religious, impact, lack of high school support, and lifetime well-being. Another significant finding was that approximately 90% graduated college with at least a two-year degree at a time when less than 52% of high school graduates even attended college, albeit the enriching primary school pull-out program experience was followed by a less-than-enriching secondary school experience that lacked academic and college advising. </p><p> The participants had an overall positive opinion of their lived experience of being labeled gifted. The most salient finding was their life satisfaction, with an implication that positive labeling and a subsequent self-fulfilling prophesy contributed to it. Further research should be conducted on the relationship between positive labeling and life satisfaction with students not identified as gifted.</p>

This study aimed to enhance understanding of the moral reasoning of gifted children. While research has explored the justice moral reasoning of gifted children (Arbuthnot, 1973; Chovan & Freeman, 1993; Gross, 1993; Henderson, Gold, & Clarke, 1984; Howard-Hamilton, 1994), this study explored prosocial moral reasoning, moral reasoning which involves conflict between one??s own needs and desires and the needs and desires of others. In addition, this study sought to gather empirical evidence for literature claims that gifted children have higher levels of empathy than their age peers (Lovecky, 1997; Piechowski, 2003; Silverman, 1993b). The study aimed to investigate the possible relationships among giftedness, prosocial reasoning and empathy. Primary (elementary) school students aged between 9 and 12 years in the Sydney Metropolitan area were administered The Prosocial Reasoning Objective Measure (PROM), The Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) and The Index of Empathy for Children and Adolescents (IOE) questionnaires. The results for gifted students (n = 176) were compared with a control group of students not identified as gifted (n = 128). The study found that gifted students used more of the highest level of prosocial reasoning in the PROM than their age peers. Furthermore, gifted students used more empathic concern, fantasy empathy and cognitive empathy than their age peers, although ability was not predictive of the other empathy factors in the instruments. Small but significant correlations between some types of empathy and some levels of prosocial reasoning were also found, indicating possible relationships between empathy and prosocial reasoning. Interviews were conducted with selected students (n = 13) from the above sample, along with some of their teachers (n = 5) and parents (n = 2). Despite the small sample, the interviews seemed to indicate a relationship between experience with bullying and prosocial reasoning. The study highlights the need for an empathy questionnaire that specifically tests cognitive and affective empathy in children. A new questionnaire may unravel some of the seemingly contradictory results in the present study. The study also provides empirical evidence that gifted children use higher levels of prosocial moral reasoning and empathy than their age-peers.

This study was designed to investigate the attitudes of academically gifted adolescents towards the development of their personal strengths or gifts and to compare these with the attitudes of age peers not identified as gifted. This study also examined the reported higher levels of moral reasoning in gifted adolescents compared to age peers and how this may relate to their development of academic potential. The 750 participants included 401 identified gifted students and 349 students not identified as gifted in Years 9, 10 and 11 from seven different high schools in the Sydney Metropolitan region. An instrument entitled the Development of Personal Strengths Questionnaire was developed to analyse students??? attitudes while the Defining Issues Test (Rest, 1986) was also administered to measure moral reasoning ability. Results showed that gifted students have significantly higher levels of acknowledgement of personal strengths and reasons for developing personal strengths, which reflect altruistic motivations. Gifted students scored significantly higher on altruism and philanthropy and showed significantly higher scores on the Defining Issues Test. Aspects of developing personal strengths, on which gifted students showed no significant difference from non-identified peers were in areas of motivation and responsibility for developing these strengths. A significant, but modest, connection was found between development of personal strengths and moral reasoning. Gender differences were also examined, with males reporting higher acknowledgement of personal strengths than females and females reporting higher levels on reasons for developing personal strengths as well as altruism and philanthropy. Females also showed significantly higher scores on the Defining Issues Test. These results were consistent within the gifted participant group. It was concluded that gifted students in this study were more likely to acknowledge their personal strengths or gifts and were more inclined to hold reasons for this development which related to higher levels of altruism, philanthropy and moral reasoning. These characteristics need to be taken into consideration in development of programs and provisions for gifted students, both now and in the future.

Thesis (doctoral)--Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität zu Münster, 1982. / Vita. Discography: p. 273. Includes bibliographical references (p. 274-286) and index.