This article argues that decisions regarding identification, instruction, and programming for gifted students need to take into account not only their abilities but their styles of thinking. The article discusses the theory of mental self-government; data gathered from testing the theory; and relevance of thinking styles to decisions regarding…

The state of Connecticut has introduced a fourth-grade mastery test that assesses thinking skills. The test was developed cooperatively by the state's Department of Education, a testing corporation, and several cognitive psychologists; several alternative models of thinking were synthesized to produce a theoretical foundation for the test. (MCG)