A Synthesis of Research on Psychological Types of Gifted Adolescents (original) (raw)
This study investigated the effectiveness of a performancebased assessment (DISCOVER (Discovering Intellectual Strengths and Capabilities through Observation while allowing for Varied Ethnic Responses)) in identifying gifted minority middle school students. Research questions focused on examining the alignment between DISCOVER and Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences (MI), as well as assessing gender and ethnic differences. Middle school students (n=395) were mostly Mexican American and Native American from lower socioeconomic backgrounds) in Arizona. Analysis showed low inter-rating correlations, indicating a good fit between DISCOVER and MI theory in that students identified as gifted in one intelligence were not necessarily identified as gifted in other intelligences. Multiple analysis of variance showed no significant interaction effect or main effect for ethnicity, although a main effect for gender was found. Univariate analysis showed that males outperformed females in the mathematics activity of DISCOVER. However, no overall gender or ethnic differences in identification were revealed. In total, 12.4% of the participants were identified as gifted, suggesting that using DISCOVER for identification purposes might help in diminishing the problem of minority underrepresentation in programs for the gifted. (Contains 27 references.)
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