Optimal talent development can only occur when high ability students are willing to take opportunities for growth in a domain and are able to persist when presented with challenges that accompany performance or production at the highest levels. This paper proposes the use of Erikson's theory of psychosocial development to provide a framework…

This column offers a perspective on suicidal behavior among gifted students that moves away from a wholly psychological perspective to more of a community-based perspective. This model does not undervalue the role of the field of psychology in explaining suicidal behavior, but speaks instead to the importance of the salient influences of culture,…

Obsession is multifaceted and may be a catalyst for important development of the person. The author discusses the concept of obsession and how educators might successfully guide the young gifted person who experiences obsessive periods.

This column examines the recent political campaign and possible effects on gifted and talented students. Using psychological theories, the author describes ways that adults can interpret the events and model appropriate American values.

The purpose of this column is to describe and discuss the use of personal narrative, how it influences the lives of students with gifts and talents (SWGT), and how it can be used as a tool to understanding their dreams and aspirations.

This discourse is the qualitative component of a mixed-methods study that examined how students were psychologically affected while attending a 2-year residential high school (Academy) in the Midwest. This aspect of the study focused on the emic perspective of nine students using a phenomenological-type approach. To that end, interviews were…

This article discusses eight topics on the social and emotional development of gifted children. These issues bring to light some of the current thinking that can be helpful to parents, teachers, and counselors. Understanding what giftedness actually is and is not, how to identify it, moving from an entity model of giftedness to an incremental…

The social and emotional development of gifted students can be influenced by many factors. Genetics, experiences, learning, family values, perceptions, and interactions all contribute to the development of gifted children. Under the heading of experiences is students? use of computers. The potential effects of using these technologies is…

Examines research on psychological and social aspects of gifted education, highlighting: students' psychological and social needs, school-based issues common to gifted students, and social coping strategies gifted students employ at school. An information management model is discussed for anticipating and understanding gifted students'…

An existential-phenomenological approach was applied to a case study of a gifted adolescent girl's perceptions of the school experience. Results of interviews and observations were interpreted in terms of awareness of self and social cognition, involvement in the school experience, and communication patterns and strategies. (DB)

This article debunks myths pertaining to the social development of gifted students, including: gifted students should be age-matched peers; being perfectly well-rounded should be the primary goal; being gifted is something with which you are just born; adults know what gifted students experience; and being too smart is a problem. (Contains 3…

The fourth in a series of articles on meeting the social and emotional needs of gifted students, this article provides ideas that teachers, parents, and counselors can consider as they work on behalf of gifted students. Suggestions focus on improving communication, building relationships, developing identity, and adapting adult coping mechanisms.…

Every fall, approximately 300 gifted adolescents descend on the Ball State University campus to attend the Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, and Humanities (the Academy). The Academy is a state-funded residential school for academically gifted junior and senior high school aged students. It draws its students from across the state,…

Fifteen gifted students (grades 1-6) in a magnet school participated in phenomenological interviews. The students described the social milieu of the school as the backdrop for the meaning of the experience of attending the school. Four themes emerged across magnet school experiences, others, role, personal development, and time. (Contains…

A case study of an academically gifted college student who committed suicide resulted in three sets of findings: those that reflected exclusively on the subject's life, those that compared his life with 3 previous psychological autopsies conducted, and those that reflected the parents' observations and experiences of his life. (Contains…