The Developmental Question and Its Importance

The Developmental Question and Its Importance

There is a good deal of research suggesting that gifted children and adolescents are faced with stressors related to being gifted that interfere with their social development and that prevent them from developing some of the skills necessary to function normally socially and emotionally. Several reasons for these deficits in social skills have been identified. Gifted children and adolescents may feel isolation because of being different from their peers. Often they can not find peers who have similar interests which may result in frustration or boredom. Also, gifted children may engage in social comparisons earlier than same aged counterparts and can even develop anxiety about going to school and having to hide their abilities (Harrison, 2004). In addition, some gifted children and adolescents must cope with perfectionistic tendencies which cause them to avoid risk taking activities in which failure is possible (Reis & Renzulli, 2004). As a result, these perfectionistic tendencies can lead to social withdrawal. Perfectionism has also been correlated to maladjustment, including depression, anxiety, low self-confidence, and social phobias (Speirs-Neumeister, 2004). Finally, gifted children and adolescents often experience heightened sensitivity to the ways that other’s affect them which can overwhelm them and lead them to withdraw from social situations (Hebert & Speirs Neumeister, 2002).

Not all studies looking at the social development of gifted children and adolescents have revealed deficits, however. Some have found that they develop socially and emotionally in ways similar to their non-gifted counterparts, while others have found gifted children to be even better socially adjusted than their typical peers. This paper discusses developmental theories related to social development, reviews current research on the social development of gifted children and adolescents, and discusses the importance of the implications of this research for the education of the gifted in order for them to achieve the most positive outcomes possible.

Related Developmental Theories

Albert Bandura’s social cognitive theory posits that cognition plays an important role in one’s capability to construct reality, self-regulate, and perform behaviors. In this theory, self-reflection allows people to make sense of their experiences, to engage in self-evaluation and to alter their thinking and behavior accordingly. Central to social cognitive theory is the concept of self-efficacy. Bandura believes that one’s judgments about their capabilities play a role in what people choose to do and also explains why people’s behaviors are sometimes disjointed from their actual capabilities (Pajares & Schunk, 2001). It is possible to look at the social development of the gifted in the context of social cognitive theory. Based on the concept of self-efficacy, one who is confident in their social skills anticipates successful social encounters, while those who doubt their social skills envision rejection before they even establish social contact. A person who lacks confidence in their social skills will shy away from social encounters and as a result will never provide themselves with the chance to have positive social interactions. This may be particularly true of gifted children with perfectionist tendencies who tend to select tasks where they feel competent and shy away from those where they expect failure.

Erik Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development can also be used to look at the social development of gifted children and adolescents. Erikson posits that people progress through eight stages during their lifetime. In each stage an individual must resolve a crisis before moving on to develop further without carrying forward issues tied to previous stages. The third and forth stages are particularly important when looking at the social development of gifted children and adolescents. In order to successful proceed through the third stage, industry versus inferiority, a child needs to feel successful in their efforts, and this can certainly include their social efforts. In the fourth stage, identity versus role confusion, an individual must develop their identity based on what they believe about themselves, and much of this sense of self is developed through various interactions with groups of people. Belonging and feeling accepted are important components to identity formation. As a person negotiates a crisis at each stage of development a basic virtue emerges which for the third and fourth stages are competence and sense of self. These virtues are essential for normal social and emotional functioning and for this reason it is essential for the gifted to successful negotiate through these stages.

Current Research

A study by Preuss and Dubow (2004) looked at the similarities and differences in coping strategies to academic and peer stressors between gifted and typical fifth and six grade children. They hypothesized that gifted children would report more problem solving and support seeking strategies than typical peers. They also expected that perceived stressfulness of an event would have a more negative effect on gifted children’s adjustment. Their study looked at 52 intellectually gifted fifth and sixth graders from elementary schools in a semi-rural community. The children were identified by their inclusion in gifted programs. Forty-five percent of gifted participants were female, 83% came from two-parent homes, and 96% were Caucasian.

Student’s coping strategies including school and peer stressors were assessed using the Self-Report Coping Scale (SRCS). Their social adjustment, academic adjustment, and academic potential were measured by teacher ratings.

The results of their study showed that intellectually gifted children used more problem-solving strategies to cope with academic and peer stressors. They suggested that these children either prefer efficient and action oriented approaches to problem solving or are more exposed to problem solving strategies as part of their gifted curriculum. Results also showed that gifted boys used fewer problem solving strategies in response to peer stressors than any other group. They believed that this was because gifted boys have found a few strategies that work well and have continued to use them, or that they have not learned as many alternatives to coping with peer stress as other children. Contrary to expectations, they found that giftedness was positively correlated with teacher ratings of social and academic adjustment. While their results showed that differences exist between the coping strategies of gifted and typical children, intellectually