Attitudes Toward Gifted

Gifted Students' Attitude toward Giftedness

Gifted students have mixed attitudes toward their giftedness label. In terms of academic tasks or superior performance in talented areas, students have a positive attitude toward their giftedness. Yet in terms of perception by peers, teachers, siblings, and parents, gifted students tend to have a negative attitude toward their giftedness; that is, they believe that others perceive their giftedness negatively.

Being gifted has positive personal ramifications for the students. It confirms the students' belief in their own talent and abilities; provides greater confidence in their abilities to master difficult material; and may lead to extra resources to support their gifts. From an academic standpoint, gifted students gain more opportunities to win scholarships and obtain placement into advanced classes easier. They achieve good academic grades easily and win favor with teachers and parents.

From a social point of view, most gifted students perceive their giftedness as a negative thing. Concerns over being rejected by one's peers who are less academically talented and of instilling envy in others creates some unease about being gifted. As a gifted student progresses from childhood to adolescence, the need to belong to one's peer group grows stronger than ever, which is no different from non-gifted students in school, hence, the apprehensions about not fitting in with others is a valid concern for these gifted students. Some studies, however, show that gifted students may have an exaggerated notion of how negatively they are perceived. Nonetheless, social recognition from others, enhanced peer relationship for those gifted students with naturally high social skills, and awareness of potential contributions to the greater society are some positive social aspects that are appreciated by gifted students.

Peers' Attitude toward Giftedness

In early childhood, non-gifted peers have favorable relationships with their gifted peers; however, it appears that the relationship deteriorates somewhat over the years as one approaches adolescence. This is especially pronounced for females. This could be attributed to the greater values and emphasis given to athletic performance and personal appearance compared to academic achievement by peers, leading to a social chasm between those who are academically achieving and those who are not. Males tend to focus more on athletic ability during childhood and adolescence; hence, the social relationship between gifted and non-gifted peers remains somewhat stable compared to their female counterparts. Another reason could be that young children are attracted to their gifted peers for their better social perspective-taking and social problem-solving skills that smooth social interaction; with advancing age, however, both groups may level off on their social skills and the [Page 75]focus turns to other areas for good relationships to be maintained.

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