Psycho-social characteristics of gifted and average adolescents

Abstract

Some findings are presented here that were obtained in the research of psycho-social characteristics of the gifted adolescents, which attended high school. Intellectually and academically gifted students (N1=80, IQm= 128.90, average age 16.9) were compared with an adequate group of average, ungifted high school students (Nz=80, IQm=104.05, average age 17.0); they were compared as far as their sociability was concerned, as well as in cases of quality and contentment with the interpersonal relationships with their friends, parents and teachers, and in their sociometric status in the class. In most cases, the obtained differences between gifted and average adolescents have not been statistically significant and where they were significant, they were not unambiguous (sometimes, the gifted kids were better, sometimes the average ones had the advantage). When the type of school attended by the gifted/average students is included in the investigation, the situation stays mostly unchanged: in the majority of measures of psycho- social characteristics, there do not exist any significant differences between the gifted and average students coming either from ordinary or specialized schools. The author concludes that it can be spoken only about some specific psycho-social characteristics of gifted adolescents, where there are more similarities than differences. The same conclusion can be made in case of the gifted students who attend either ordinary or specialized schools.

U radu je izložen deo podataka do kojih se došlo u istraživanju o psihosocijalnim karakteristikama darovitih adolescenata, učenika srednjih škola. Intelektualno i akademski daroviti učenici (N = 80, IQm=128,90, prosečni uzrast 76; 9 godina) upoređivani su sa odgovarajućom grupom prosečnih nedarovitih učenika (N = 80, IQm = 104,05, prosečni uzrast 17; 0 godina) u socijabilnosti, kvalitetu i zadovoljstvu interpersonalnim odnosima sa drugovima, roditeljima i nastavnicima i sociometrijskom statusu u razredu. Na većini mera razlike između darovitih i prosečnih adolescenata nisu statistički značajne, a tamo gde jesu nisu jednoznačne (u jednom slučaju u prednosti su daroviti, a u drugom prosečni). Kada se u ispitivanje uključi tip škole koju daroviti i prosečni učenici pohađaju situacija se uglavnom ponavlja; na većini mera psihosocijalnih karakteristika nema značajnih razlika između darovitih i prosečnih učenika iz obične i specijalizovane škole. Autor zaključuje da se može govoriti samo o nekim specifičnim psihosocijalnim karakteristikama darovitih adolescenata, pri čemu ima više sličnosti nego razlika. Isti zaključak se odnosi na darovite učenike koji pohađaju obične i specijalizovane škole.