Personality characteristics were assessed for 65 male and 85 female gifted adolescents and their parents. Ss were enrolled in a college program for gifted students. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and the Adjective Checklist were used to describe personality patterns found in this group and to compare the gifted student to other populations. A set…

Three wishes of 69 gifted and 66 nongifted adolescents were solicited in a group situation. The findings indicated that personal wishes were of the most concern for both gifted and nongifted adolescents, and that males of both groups tended to value material possessions more often than did females. A significant between-groups difference revealed…

To examine the existence of short term indicators of long term program results, studies and autobiographical/biographical material of gifted individuals were reviewed. Analysis yielded a checklist of 25 characteristics purported to lead to satisfaction as adults. The checklist items are explained to include the following self perceptions of gifted…

Case studies of six gifted productive youth (9-18 years old) were conducted to search for the special environmental conditions and personality characteristics that precede and accompany such productivity. Interviews were held with the students, their parents, and their teachers. Students were also requested to keep a journal to record their…

The purpose of this longitudinal project was to determine the influence of the family upon the early development and implementation of a gifted child's talent. Researchers examined two samples of exceptionally gifted boys and their families. One sample had cognitive scores within the 99th percentile in the mathematics-science domain; the other had…

This on-going qualitative multiple case study is examining K. Dabrowski's ideas concerning psychic overexcitability in gifted children, by describing the overexcitabilities exhibited by five young gifted children. The five children, ages 3 and 4, attend a private school for gifted children and were purposely selected to provide examples of the…

The purposes of this study were to determine whether mathematically gifted boys and girls in secondary schools were significantly different in cognitive abilities and personality factors and to determine whether these cognitive abilities and personality factors were accurate predictors of mathematical achievement. Mathematically gifted boys (n=77)…

This paper discusses the outcomes of a study that examined the importance of personality to identity formation in Terman's sample of 1,528 intellectually gifted children in 1936 and 1940. Based on the children's responses to questions concerning their occupational choice and factors that influenced their decision, participants were classified into…

The study examined the perceptions of two gifted samples (n=54) and a nongifted control group (n=130) of preadolescent boys (ages 12-13) regarding their school and peer experiences, intrafamily roles, discipline and identification models, and career choices. Results of a 62-item questionnaire indicated that the group identified as having…

This paper examines classroom dynamics that can lead to adolescent girls doubting their ability, creativity, and importance. Before children even start attending school, girls have learned verbal and physical self-restraint, thus requiring teachers to give more attention to boys who are more difficult to control. At school, intelligence is…

The case study of a visually gifted 8-year-old child illustrates the problems that may be encountered in determining giftedness that is manifested largely through visual processes and products. The child's intelligence quotient was just below that required for admission to the gifted program in his school. Retesting with the complete number of…

Because gifted girls so often fail to achieve their potential, they require specialized programming and counseling. Three factors in this longstanding pattern of underachievement and associated issues are: (1) biological (girls lack the innate ability to achieve); (2) environmental (aspects of the environment do not encourage female achievement);…