RESEARCH ON THE GIFTED AND TALENTED

Many questions are raised about gifted persons and education for the gifted. Answers to the most frequently asked questions have been derived from current and previous research.

THE GIFTED AND TALENTED: WHO ARE THEY?

And why should we be concerned about them? Are they really sufficiently different from the norm to warrant special planning and attention? These questions are important, especially in modern education, with universal opportunities and resultant large school population.

How do the gifted rate academically?

Probably the area in which the gifted and talented are recognized most frequently is that of achievement. Large-scale studies conducted over the past 50 years have uniformly agreed that these individuals function at levels far in advance of their agemates. Beginning at the early primary grades, and even at the time of school entry, the gifted and talented present challenging educational problems because of their deviation from the norm.

Typically, half of the gifted have taught themselves to read prior to school entry. Some of them learn to read as early as 2 years, and appreciable numbers are reading at 4 (165,V.1;103). In comparison with their classmates, these children depart increasingly from the average as they progress through the grades, if their educational program permits.

In a statewide study which included more than 1,000 gifted children. at all grade levels, the kindergarten group on the average performed at a level comparable to that of second grade children in reading and mathematics. The average for fourth and fifth grade gifted children in all curriculum areas was beyond that of seventh grade pupils. Nearly three-fourths of the gifted eighth grade pupils made average scores equal to or beyond the average of 12th grade students on a test battery in six curriculum areas. Three-fourths of the 10th and 11th grade gifted exceeded the average of college sophomores (103).

As a special test to determine true potential, a representative sample of gifted high school seniors took the Graduate Record Examinations in social sciences, humanities, and natural sciences. These tests are commonly used for admission to graduate study. In all of the tests, the randomly selected gifted high school seniors made an average group score which surpassed the average for college seniors. In the social sciences the high school seniors surpassed the average of college seniors with majors in that field.

These findings on the attainments of gifted students are typical. The same level of performance was documented in several major State studies in the 1920's and 1930's. One of these pointed out that 22 per cent of high school students surpassed the average college sophomore level, and that 10 percent of the high school students exceeded the college senior average. Furthermore, 15 percent of high school students. surpassed the science scores made by nearly 40 percent of college students who were on the verge of teaching (96).

Throughout his school experience, the gifted student typically functions at the level of those who are several years his senior. The greater individual variations within the gifted groups accentuate even further the difficulty of providing for the gifted within the usual group.

In the statewide study cited earlier, the highest level of performance by a first grade pupil was at the eighth grade level. The upper onefourth of the fourth and fifth grade students rated beyond the average for high school sophomores on a comprehensive test battery of achievement, while one-fourth of the eighth grade gifted were at or beyond the level of college freshmen (103).

What Are the Gifted Like-Psychologically and Socially?

Early studies by Yoder in 1894, by Terman beginning in 1904, and by Katherine Dolbear in 1912 initiated the understandings of the gifted and their behavior and values as known today. These studies tended to refute earlier beliefs that giftedness predicted severe maladjustment and even insanity, although there are recent writings (as noted in a following section) which show that giftedness may produce severe problems for certain individuals (114). In general gifted children have been found to be better adjusted and more popular than the general population, although there are definite relationships between educational opportunities and adjustment. These will be discussed in the section on programs.

One of the best early summaries of the traits in the gifted was based upon studies by Catherine Cox Miles on the characteristics revealed in the childhood biographies of 100 geniuses in childhood. She listed the following persistent traits as differentiating these individuals from the general child population: Independence of thought, perceptiveness, understanding, strength of memory, originality, creativeness, depth of understanding, trustworthiness, conscientiousness, strength of influence on others, persistence, devotion to distant goals, and desire to excel. Many of the same traits have been included in descriptions of creative persons (165, V.2).

Partly because of early reading and resultant early knowledge, the gifted tend to explore topics, ideas, and issues earlier than their peers. When compared to the general population, therefore, they are found to enjoy social associations as others do, but tend early to relate to older companions and games which involve individual skills or some intellectual pursuits (103;165, V.1). O'Shea, Mann, Hubbard and others have pointed out that in play and work situations, gifted children chose to spend their time with children similar to themselves in mental age (8).

The gifted child is not a "grind" or a "loner," despite the fact that he early develops special interests. Biographical data from studies of large populations reveal that these individuals characteristically perform in outstanding fashion, not only in academic or aesthetic fields but also as leaders in school life in widely varied organizations, in community groups, in student government and in athletics (37;81; 103;165, V.1).

Early studies in (1922 and 1932) indicated that twice as many gifted were leaders and held elective offices, compared to the average pupil.

A 1927 study found high school honor students to be younger and higher in intelligence, to spend less time toward graduation, and to

carry more extracurricular activities than the average (114). In a number of more recent studies, the gifted were found to rate higher in acceptance by peers than the average (51;103;107). The total impression is of individuals who perform with superb excellence in many fields, and do so with ease.

While the academic advancement of the gifted has generally been recognized, even though it has not been served, the early social and psychological development of the gifted has been less frequently noted. Gifted pupils, even when very young, depart from self-centered concerns and values far earlier than their chronological peers. Problems of morality, religion and world peace may be troublesome at a very early age. Interest in problems besetting society is common even in elementary age gifted children (79).

In addition to remarkably high ratings of eighth grade and high school gifted on scales denoting sociability, school presence, responsibility, socialization, good impression, communality and flexibility— all of which affect social well-being-the gifted from fifth grade through high school projected significantly higher social commitment and awareness than the average in essays on hero-ideals. In writing about their most admired persons, living and dead, the gifted manifested significantly greater concern for others than for themselves, expressed admiration for those who have made lasting contributions to humanity rather than for those who are sources of immediate, personal gratification, and mentioned frequently the constructive application of learning and wisdom for welfare of mankind as the basis for their admiration. The other directedness of the gifted, as compared to the average, and their significantly more frequent idealization of humanitarian rather than personal contributions, revealed a maturity of social concern beyond that of their agemates (103). The advanced social concerns of the gifted and the values important to them are not surprising to the student of differential psychology; the reverse would be.

Standardized psychological tests used in various studies have shown that gifted adolescent boys and girls resemble college men and women more closely than they do the youth of their own age (103). The close comparability to gifted high school, college and adult populations was evident for gifted seventh grade pupils who differed completely from their agemates on every scale of an 18-scale battery. Indeed, the gifted seventh grade boys, when compared to a group of successful male business executives, rated higher on scales measuring socialization, responsibility, flexibility, and on a scale of dependability, tact, reliability, sincerity and realism (103).

The advanced psychological maturity of the gifted is found regardless of socio-economic status. A 1964 comparison of Merit Scholars, who were seniors to the total college senior population, revealed that the Merit Scholars were of higher rank on many aspects of personality, attitude, interests and career plans, even when socio-economic varability was controlled (125).

Studies of the merit scholars and numerous other studies indicate less convention oriented behavior, more originality, imaginativeness, inventiveness, resourcefulness, higher valuation of the theoretical and aesthetic than the economic and utilitarian, more idealism, more independence, more positive self-concepts, and better attitudes toward

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school. More creativity was found among the gifted than within the general population (48). Sex differences among the gifted also were found, with boys more independent and task oriented than girls, who in turn were more influenced by their teachers (48).

A study of interpersonal values at junior high school level sharply differentiated gifted and average students, and revealed some sex differences among the gifted. Gifted boys valued recognition less than the average, and gifted girls valued independence more highly than the average. Gifted boys valued support and benevolence less than did gifted girls, and gave higher value to leadership (5).

At the adult level, gifted men of eminence in science revealed a general need for independence, for autonomy, for personal mastery of the environment, and for independence from parents. They were not especially aggressive, though highly successful, and revealed unusual abilities both to generalize and to note extraordinary details (142).

The composite impression from these studies and others is of a population which values independence, which is more task and contribution oriented than recognition oriented, which prizes integrity and independent judgment in decisionmaking, which rejects conformity for its own sake, and which possesses unusually high social ideals and values.

What Are The Interests Of Gifted People?

Of all human groups, the gifted and talented are the least likely to form stereotypes. Their traits, interests, capacities and alternatives present limitless possibilities for expression, and the chief impression one draws from studying groups at either the child or adult level is of their almost unlimited versatility, their multiple talents, and the countless patterns of effective expression at their command. Early development of the gifted means characteristically also early reading and early concept development. Because of early and more extensive reading than the average, the gifted develop a greater range of interests. Terman found that the average 7 year-old gifted child read more than other children in any age group up to 15, and that the 8 and 9 year-old gifted read three times as much as his own age group (165, V.I).

Giftedness is not limited to a single area, typically, although a gifted person may gain recognition for his contributions within a specialty. Studies of gifted children and of longitudinal biographical data reveal that the gifted have many options; indeed, the difficulty of choice among available alternatives is a problem for many (129).

Populations identified as academically or mentally gifted also possess many other talents. Terman's studies identified those who had made major contributions to mankind, and through the analysis of their childhood biographies, concluded that they were highly gifted intellectually. Among these persons were the great historical figures in music, art, letters, invention, philosophy, mathematics, politics, and other fields, (165,V.2).

The Terman population included a well-known research scientist who had finished his graduate study using his talent in music, and 10 painters who regularly exhibited their works. One 40-year-old woman was a movie actress, a professional dancer, an ice skating champion, and a business executive and had illustrated texts and written several plays and two novels. A lawyer had conducted research in stereoscopic

optics, had translated for French and German scientific and legal publications, had specialized more recently in Arabic, and had contributed to military journals.

In a cross section population of 700 women, we would not find the record of five novels, five volumes of poetry, 70 poems, 32 scholarly books, approximately 50 short stories, four plays, over 150 essays, critiques and articles, over 200 scientific papers, and at least five patents; this was the mid-life record of the Terman group.

The men were much more productive, with nearly 2,000 scientific and technical articles, 60 books and monographs in science, literature, arts and the humanities, 230 patents, 33 novels, 375 short stories, novelettes and plays, 60 or more essays, and 265 miscellaneous articles. These persons were reported by parents to have strong creative interests and talents, as were the children of the latter California study. In the latter population almost one-fourth had special aptitudes in music and art, with additional numbers reported as high in manual, mechanical, and athletic skills. Added talents included leadership and organizational abilities, language fluency, dramatic skills, creative writing, human relationships, reasoning and logic, dancing, and others less frequently recorded. The gifted young were characterized by both teachers and parents as extremely versatile in talents, and capable of excellent performance in a range of endeavors (103; 165; V. 1).

Many studies have reported collections and specialized hobbies among the gifted at early ages (9; 103; 165, V. 1). Specialization may occur at the earliest school years, and persist. Many of the eminent scientists in Roe's study indicated that they had collections and performed experiments as children. Harvey Lehman noted that Carl Gauss, one of the most creative mathematicians in history, was performing research at age 15, that three groups of noted performers displayed definite musical talent at age 6, and that the mean age of professional debut for 36 virtuoso instrumentalists was 132. Henry Ford started as a watch repairman when he was so young that the jeweler kept him out of the public's sight; William Cullen Bryant began composing verse at the age of 8 and completed Thanatopsis when he was 18; and Robert Burns wrote the immortal songs and poems included in the Harvard Classics between the ages of 14 and 21. Galileo made his basic pendulum discovery at age 17, and Edmund Halley made several major planetary discoveries while still an adolescent. All of these persons had highly specialized interests at an early age, and all were encouraged to continue their specializations (97).

Credit for development of the concepts which led to the development of television belongs to a person who was 15 years of age. While some may be dubious about its benefits, TV has enhanced communication.

Much has been made of the values to society which result from encouragement of talent. Less has been said until recent years of the psychological benefits accruing to the individual who is permitted to use his mind and talents in ways satisfying to him. It is difficult for some to understand that work and recreation can merge, yet a number of Roe's eminent scientists reported no recreation and made such statements as "My work is my life," "There is nothing I'd rather do," or "If I had an income I'd do just what I'm doing now" (142).