Two alternative means of assessing overexcitability were examined: questionnaires and interviews. Administration of both forms to 46 gifted adolescents and preadolescents obtained similar results for 4 of 5 forms of overexcitability, but correlations between questionnaire and interview scores were too low to consider the methods equivalent for…

This paper summarizes an October 1993 report of the U.S. Office of Educational Research and Improvement on the status of educating gifted and talented students. The report cites evidence of the mediocre education received by gifted students, describes programs that do not meet students' needs, and outlines recommendations for offering high-level…

This article distills from research five childhood activities typically associated with adult eminence, including working diligently, absorbing information, engaging others constructively, choosing goals carefully, and completing difficult tasks. Examples from the lives of eminent men and women are provided, such as Jane Adams, Thomas Jefferson,…

This article reviews the causes of underachievement in gifted students and discusses two successful intervention programs, a secondary program with individualized goals to meet the needs and interests of the students, and an elementary program which focused on active parental support and the services of a psychologist. Case studies of…

Two studies revealed differences between junior-high gifted and average ability students on the Learning and Study Strategies Inventory, with the average students indicating more anxiety. Gender differences were also exhibited, with girls scoring higher than boys in motivation, study aids, and self-testing. (Author/JDD)

Gifted girls (n=30) who participated in psychotherapy tended to focus on either social relationships or achievement. Girls who focused on achievement tended to be the brightest and exhibited the cognitive styles of divergent thinking, integrative thinking, or perceptive thinking. These girls also tended to exhibit problems dealing with peers and…

The literature on gender differences in gifted education is reviewed and suggestions are made regarding the need for increased attention to the needs of gifted black females. A study is described which examined the perceptions of 31 gifted black female elementary students concerning factors that negatively affect their achievement. (Author/DB)

Gifted/talented high school students (n=113) completed the Mathematical Self-Efficacy Scale. Analysis indicated that males had stronger self-efficacy expectations than females on more than one-fourth of the items, whereas females reported stronger self-efficacy expectations on only a few items that involved stereotypical female activities.…

This article explores the inner and outer forces that energized the lives of Charlotte Bronte and Virginia Woolf and influenced their talent development. Similarities in their lives, including adversity, autodidactism, practice of the writing craft, search for a mother figure, influence of place, loneliness, emotional support, and a philosophy of…

Individual and cross-case analyses were employed to explore how the pursuit of career and life satisfaction was defined and resolved by 11 elite female scientists. Issues addressed included professional advancement structures in science, the funding climate for research, constraints of significant others' careers, commitment to social change, and…

Adjustment to having a sibling who is gifted was explored with 366 triads consisting of a mother and two children, ages 7 through 14, of whom either one child was gifted, both were gifted, or neither was gifted. Having a sibling who is gifted did not appear to be stressful. (SW)

Hands-on archaeology in empty lots of recently razed structures is recommended as part of the curriculum for gifted elementary and secondary students. Guidelines for designing the educational experience include establishing expectations, forming working hypotheses, gridding the site, record keeping, artifact labeling, and producing a site report.…

Discusses the conceptualization of television viewing as a learned activity by highlighting the interrelatedness of children's linguistic, cognitive, and perceptual skills for accurate comprehension of temporal sequencing based on a study of five-year-old gifted, learning disabled (LD), and gifted/LD students. (references) (LRW)

Interviews with 16 gifted high school juniors explored their self-concepts and their expectations in entering a rigorous, residential academic program, the Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, and Humanities. Expectations and self-concepts were found to be primarily "academic,""social," or "balanced." Sex differences were also examined.…

Describes the Student Science Training Program (SSTP) held in Hawaii for 30 high school students gifted in science and math. The seven-week program presents coursework, laboratory experiments, recitation/discussion, computer programming, field trips, research participation, and socialization. (MVL)