This article describes a three-step process by which behaviors are associated with the concept of "giftedness." In the first step, a three-way interaction of a person x task x situation leads to some kind of excellence in a societally significant performance. In the second step, that performance is identified as excellent and societally…

This study examined whether a self-contained gifted classroom meets the needs of its learners. Considering the existing and desired aspects, as perceived by students, teachers, and parents, it offers a unique lens forming a holistic in-depth view of the self-contained classroom. Forty-two participants took part in this study: 20 students, 15…

Six hundred gifted students (grades 4 through 12) completed a survey eliciting information regarding their feelings about being labeled gifted. Results provided corroborative evidence that students perceive the label more positively than negatively. Most considered the label a "requirement" for admission to programs that offered challenging…

Elementary teachers (N=276) reviewed a vignette of a hypothetical gifted student described as having either mild or moderate behavioral problems and either nonlabelled or labelled as behaviorally disordered (BD). Teachers were more likely to refer the mildly disturbed student for placement in a gifted program and were not significantly influenced…

Modifications to the original three-ring conception of giftedness include shifting emphasis from "being gifted" to the development of gifted behaviors, labeling services rather than students, and changes in state guidelines. The author presents a six-step identification system designed to translate the three-ring conception into a practical set of…

A survey explored perceptions of 14 adolescents regarding the effects of being labeled as gifted. On a list of attributes, a positive sense of accomplishment, feelings of being unique, and the ability to cover material in more detail received the highest positive ratings. (CR)

Issues focusing on giftedness will become a greater part of the family counseling and therapy field in the coming decade. Answers to school-related questions commonly asked by parents of gifted youngsters are offered, with special focus on how parents and siblings are affected by labeling a child as gifted. (JW)

The Stigma of Giftedness Paradigm served as the theoretical framework to develop a questionnaire which examined the school-based social cognition of 465 gifted adolescents. The model (which focuses on effect of the gifted label on adolescent wishes for normal social interactions) was found to aid in understanding the psychosocial development of…

Actual/idealized and actual/public self-concept coherence was used as a measure of adjustment to being labeled gifted and subsequently participating in a gifted education program for 128 fourth through eighth graders. Results indicated overall better adjustment was significantly related to greater coherence between self- and ideal-self…

Professional sensitivity and responsibility must be used to describe giftedness in ways that do not isolate gifted children or their parents and which encourage shared advocacy with other educational groups. More information is needed on how labeling of gifted students and conceptual frameworks surrounding exceptionalities affect societal and…

Discusses the consistent underrepresentation of minority groups in gifted programs and legal issues surrounding the identification of gifted students, including the relationship between classification and government purpose. Model legislation that defines gifted students and traditionally underserved populations and declares nondiscriminatory…

This article gives suggestions for bibliotherapy as a counseling strategy to help gifted boys dealing with six issues: image management, self-inflicted pressure, the trauma of being labeled "different," male bonding, cultural expectations, and gender role conflict. Thirty children's books addressing these issues are suggested. (DB)

Describes the development of the self in gifted individuals based on observations in therapy and counseling settings. The concept of the self, problems of "differentness," and the gifted self are considered. Issues such as perfectionism, labeling, adult development, and excellence versus equity are discussed and illustrated with…