Which Research-Supported Practices Best Address the Social and Emotional Differences in Gifted Children?

1
Which Research-Supported Practices Best Address
the Social and Emotional Differences in Gifted
Children?

• Karen B. Rogers, Ph.D.
• Gifted Education Research, Resource Information
  Centre
• University of New South Wales
• Sydney, Australia
• k.rogers_at_unsw.edu.au

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First Things First

• Are there social and emotional differences in
  these children?
• YES but there are many myths about these
  differences as well

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Myths About the Gifted

• They have no practical knowledge, common sense
• They have a hard time socializing
• All theyre interested in is memorizing facts and
  details on a specific topic
• They could be normal if they tried to be BUT
• They are more likely to suffer from depression,
  psychological disorders, and thoughts of suicide
• They are difficult to raise
• Their parents push them so that explains why they
  are so far ahead - this also puts loads of stress
  on them to achieve even when they dont want to

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Reality One Common Sense

• Jorgen on planning his own schooling
• Brett on planning his own schooling
• Sarina on planning her own schooling
• Theresa on planning her own schooling
• GDC Sample A significant percentage of the
  parents of those children described the practical
  problem solving skills of their children.

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Reality One As a Part of Common Sense

• They show a preference for competitive games,
  situations
• Attempt to be socially acceptable requires a
  compromise that many gifted children are
  unwilling to offer, so they become loners,
  competing against themselves (Gross)
• They strive very hard to be independent
• Intense drive in gifted individuals, but not
  necessarily accompanied by skills to act
  appropriately (Delisle)
• Tend to be nonconformist in thought and action
  (Silverman, Albert, Roeper)
• Their asynchrony pushes them to find other
  answers
• Discrepancies between cognitive developmental
  level and physical, social, emotional development
  may cause internal conflicts (Silverman,
  Morelock)
• They produce McGyver-like solutions to everyday
  events
• They may take inordinate amounts of time, at
  times, to come up with what should be a simple
  solution or behavior

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Reality Two Social Difficulties

• Sarah, Ellie, Samantha, Natalie have large groups
  of friends at school, love school, and get along
  well with most teachers. Among my sample only 1
  girl in 10 has any social or school
  difficulties.
• Andrew, Ryan, Michael, David do not have many
  friends at school, and in fact are hazed or
  bullied by other boys. Approximately 1 boy in 2
  has social or school difficulties
• GDC Sample Parents (85) reported these children
  as having very good relations with older
  children, all small groups, and good/very good
  relations with same aged peers.

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Reality Two Socializing May Be in the Eye of the
Beholder

• Need for solitude
• Time alone is needed to regroup thoughts and
  perceptions to avoid stress (Webb, Silverman)
• Tend to more likely be introverted than
  extraverted (Silverman, Webb)
• Conflict between social and achievement needs
• Much of the emotional trauma of gifted
  individuals arises from the conflict between
  psycho-social needs for intimacy and achievement
  (Gross)
• Tedium and repetition in learning lead to
  frustration, anxiety, less wilingness to
  cooperate with others (Czikszentmihalyi, Hoekman)
• Their sensitivity to peoples ideas, emotions, to
  events (Overexcitabilies) can make for additional
  socialization issues (Piechowski, Dabrowski,
  Lind)

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Reality Two Socializing May Be in the Eye of the
Beholder

• Level of psychosocial development is more highly
  correlated with mental age than with
  chronological age
• Ability to think abstractly and reason
  conceptually leads to advanced development in
  social, emotional, and moral reasoning domains
  (Tannenbaum, Janos Robinson, Karnes)
• Need for intimacy, special interactive
  relationships
• Important component for development of potential
  (Silverman) and life satisfaction (Sears)
• Individuals seek their like (other gifted
  youngsters or older-aged children) for such
  relationships (Schunk, Hollingworth, OShea)
• When not with intellectual peers, social
  self-concept declines, and negative
  self-criticism increases (Foster, Gross)
• Gifted are often looking for a different kind of
  friendship -- the sure shelter rather than a
  kid to hang out with (Gross)

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Reality Three Facts and Details

• Sarah Nursing Home songs
• Natalie Writing contests
• Michael Graphing equations
• Ryan Lego constructions
• My sample Two of every three children have a
  long standing interest in something that involves
  the learning of intricate facts and details, but
  most of these children do something with their
  learning maps, stories, plays, etc.

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Reality Three Is There Something Wrong With
Lopsidedness?

• It may be an intense need to be recognized that
  impels them toward single focused pursuits
• Wish to be viewed as good at their area of
  expertise and to gain recognition for excellent
  work in that area --need to master content area
  (Coleman, Borland)
• Possess entelechy (single minded motivation to
  pursue own goals, be best they can be) (Lovecky)
• Or it may be their innate drive to excel that
  pushes them forward
• Inborn trait (Galton) OR product of enriched home
  environment (Bloom) OR evolved developmental
  characteristic (Dabrowski)
• May lead to perfectionism if external pressures
  are applied (Whitmore), if tasks given are too
  easy (Hoekman), or if individual is
  ego-involved, rather than task-involved (Dweck,
  Gross)
• Is present in individuals with positive
  self-concept, inner locus of control (Foster)

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Reality Four Abnormal Responses to Normal Events
are Rare

• Less than 2 of the GDC Sample had issues with
  depression, trauma, night terrors, thoughts of
  suicide, despite the fact that the center is a
  counseling center for gifted children.
• My sample -- no incidences of emotional disorders
  that require psychological counseling. About 1 in
  15 needs organizational skills training/counseling
  or help with underachievement issues. Several
  have had to deal with the effects of hazing or
  bullying, but without lasting psychological
  damage at this point.
• Yet research has suggested they show the same
  amount of interest and enjoyment at school as
  others (Gentry et al), experience fewer
  life-changing events which could cause stress
  (Metha), and their emotional adjustment scores
  are in the normative range (Zigler)

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Reality Four Even So, Abnormal Responses Can
Happen

• Gifted children may be at risk for
  internalizing disorders (Robinson et al)
• When forced into isolation and loneliness by the
  rejection of peers, this can lead to depression
  and anxiety reactions (Jackson)
• Overt pressure by teachers and parents to achieve
  can lead to fear of failure and dysfunctional
  perfectionism (Weisse)
• Intensities, sensitivities and emotionality can
  lead to anxiety, phobias, and interpersonal
  problems (Fiedler)
• But they appear to be less at risk for
  externalizing disorders (Fiedler)
• Are less physically aggressive, less restless,
  more respectful (Ludwig et al)
• Research suggests they are no more likely to be
  referred for discipline problems that other
  students (Brody Benbow)
• Tend to be no different in adolescence from their
  age peer in feeling different, being bored or
  being perfectionistic (Ford, Baker), perhaps
  because they have greater resilience (Bland et
  al), coping strategies, (Tomchin et al) and
  self-efficacy (Merrill et al) which buffer
  tendencies toward acting out, oppositional-defiant
  behavior, conduct disorder, or violence
  (Neihart).

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Reality Five Difficult to Raise

• GDC sample 20 of the parents reported their
  children as difficult to raise, which means 80
  were sometimes difficult or easy.
• My sample None of the parents have reported
  their children as difficult although there are
  reports of a difficulty here or there, usually
  involving others tolerating their own child. Two
  children were reported as beginning to act out
  at school because of their treatment there, but
  at home issues are fairly mild.
• Again, is difficulty to raise in the eye of the
  beholder and reflect just as strongly on
  parenting style as on something internal that
  might be connected with being gifted?

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Reality Six Parents are Pushers

• Among my sample, I had two parents (out of 250)
  who tended to push their children, but
  certainly not beyond what the child is capable of
  accomplishing. Neither of these children is
  unhappy with themselves or with their parents.
  The remainder of the parents tended to break
  down when they found out they had a gifted
  child, more out of panic that ego tripping.
• In a follow up of the parents of my 250 children
  who were given IEPs to take to the schools, fewer
  than 20 did take the plans or advocated beyond a
  single discussion with the school. Parents were
  more often likely to change schools or home
  school than to advocate strongly for change even
  with the evidence in front of them!
• Grost is probably representative of how parents
  of gifted children relate to their children.
  These parents dont push, they marshal resources
  as their children indicate willingness or
  interest.

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Second Things Second

• What can educators do to address the social and
  emotional issues that crop up for these learners
  as a result of their giftedness?

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When the Curriculum is not Challenging...

• Frustration and anxiety
• Perfectionism
• Lowered academic self-concept
• Underachievement or Non-production

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When Not Allowed to Work With Others of Like
Ability ...

• Lack of psycho-social intimacy
• Unrealistic academic self-concept
• Lower social self-concept, self-worth
• Increased self-criticism
• Alienation

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When There is No Perceived Progress in Learning...

• Decline in social, emotional, and moral
  development
• Existential depression
• Frustration, stress
• Non-production, underachievement

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When the Work is Too Slow and Repetitive...

• Loss of motivation, willingness to concentrate
• Sloppiness, lack of caring about performance or
  product
• Dislike of learning and school
• Acting out, behavior disruptions

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Educational Applications of the Social
Emotional Research and Giftedness

• Appropriately challenging curriculum
• Placement with others of like ability when the
  learning is serious and in-depth
• Exposure to progressively more complex tasks in a
  pre-structured continuum of learning experiences
  based on mastery and readiness
• Flexible progression at appropriately rapid pace
  (accelerative component)
• Placement in a like ability social group to deal
  with social and affective issues that crop up in
  their lives (use of bibliotherapy, small group
  projects, discussion, etc.)

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Last Words...

• Its a daunting task, being an educator, bearing
  the responsibility for shaping both academics and
  attitudes No computer-scanned bubble sheet
  measures how our students feel about learning or
  their biases toward self and others. These
  indexes, the true value of learning and
  education, elude detection and measurement,
  sometimes for yearsSo, the brave educator
  wishing to enhance both students self-concepts
  and their achievements must be content with not
  knowing the immediate or long-term impacts of
  their actions.