Early differences in cognitive motivation (quest for knowledge) may differentiate gifted from nongifted children. Situation-specific and activity-oriented measures of cognitive motivation are described, and evidence is presented showing the effectiveness of a measurement of reaction to congruent and incongruent figures in the identification of…

Measures of shyness, self-esteem, and creativity were administered to 64 preschool children. Correlational analysis indicated a positive relation between self-esteem and creativity, and a negative relation between shyness and creativity. The relation between shyness and creativity continued after self-esteem was covaried. (Author/DB)

This article examines theoretical views of perfectionism, some of the instruments currently available to measure perfectionism, and empirical evidence surrounding perfectionism in both the general and gifted populations. Areas of needed research are addressed, with particular emphasis given to the multidimensional nature of the construct of…

The study examined longitudinal data from the Louis Terman study to identify risk factors predicting likelihood of committing suicide by gifted women. Discriminant function analysis predicted group membership (suicide, natural death, or living) of 100 percent of the suicides, 93 percent of the control group who died, and 88 percent of the living…

Comparison of childhood traits and conditions of 21 eminent American women scientists and 235 eminent women in other fields found both groups more similar than different, but future scientists tended to engage in more scientific activities, were more bookish and scholarly, and were typically encouraged to pursue nature study, reading, and writing.…

Two alternative means of assessing overexcitability were examined: questionnaires and interviews. Administration of both forms to 46 gifted adolescents and preadolescents obtained similar results for 4 of 5 forms of overexcitability, but correlations between questionnaire and interview scores were too low to consider the methods equivalent for…

This study examined self-esteem at 13 and 18 years of age among 340 gifted students. Results found no differential change in self-esteem according to whether or not students experienced academic acceleration. Analysis of students' self-perceptions of other personality characteristics also yielded no differential correlation to acceleration status.…

This study investigated whether significant group, gender, and grade differences existed in the learning style preferences of high school students with learning disabilities (n=53) and gifted students (n=64). Findings indicated significant group differences in preferences for light, design, and kinesthetic modality, as well as for motivation,…