Parenting the Exceptional Social-Emotional Needs of Gifted and Talented Children: What Do We Know?

Unraveling symptom interplay: a network analysis of procrastination in gifted students

BACKGROUND

This study explores the intricate web of symptoms experienced by academically gifted high school students, focusing on procrastination, rumination, perfectionism, and cognitive flexibility. The well-being of these gifted adolescents remains a pivotal concern, and understanding the dynamics of these symptoms is vital.

METHODS

A diverse sample of 207 academically gifted high school students from Mashhad, Iran, participated in this study. Using convenience sampling, participants from grades 10, 11, and 12 were included, with detailed assessments conducted through questionnaires measuring the mentioned symptoms.

RESULTS

Our network analysis uncovers compelling insights into the interplay of these symptoms: Procrastination, though moderately central, exerts significant influence within the network, underscoring its relevance. Cognitive flexibility, while centrally positioned, curiously exhibits a negative influence, potentially serving as a protective factor. Negative perfectionism emerges as the keystone symptom, with both high centrality and a positive influence. Rumination displays substantial centrality and a positive influence, indicating its role in symptom exacerbation. Positive perfectionism, moderately central, lacks direct influence on other symptoms.

CONCLUSION

This network analysis provides a nuanced understanding of the relationships among procrastination, rumination, perfectionism, and cognitive flexibility in academically gifted adolescents. Negative perfectionism and cognitive flexibility emerge as critical factors deserving attention in interventions aimed at enhancing the well-being of this unique group. Further research should explore causal relationships to refine targeted interventions.

Nurturing Sustainable Development: The Interplay of Parenting Styles and SDGs in Children's Development

This study delves into the dynamics of parenting styles and their impact on the cognitive and social-affective development of children within diverse family populations, contextualized within the framework of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Drawing from a sample population comprising families from various socio-economic backgrounds and cultural contexts, the research explores the nuanced interactions between parenting approaches-ranging from authoritarian/permissive to democratic-and children's developmental trajectories. By examining families with different numbers of children, this study elucidates the differential effects of parenting styles on cognitive adaptability and social-emotional skills across varying family structures. Democratic parenting emerges as a critical factor in promoting children's well-being, equitable access to education, and the fostering of peaceful societies, aligning with SDGs 3, 4, and 16. Furthermore, the research addresses disparities in child development outcomes, shedding light on issues of gender equality (SDG 5) and reduced inequalities (SDG 10) within the context of family dynamics. Through a comprehensive analysis of diverse family populations, this study underscores the significance of inclusive and nurturing parenting practices in advancing sustainable development objectives, advocating for collaborative efforts (SDG 17) to support families in fostering optimal child development outcomes for all.

The Influence of Gifted Children's Stress Management on Parental Stress Levels

This study explores the associations between gifted children's stress management and parental stress level. A sample of 78 primary school children and their 76 parents took part in this study. Children were screened for intelligence and emotional quotients, while parents were tested for stress levels. Results show that the more children are aware of their stress-management skills, the less parents are stressed out. Moreover, the intelligence quotient is not significant in mediating this association, supporting the idea that it is not an a priori protective factor from a developmental perspective. The study findings suggest that when a child is equipped with the skills to handle stress by harnessing their emotional intelligence, it can have a beneficial effect on the entire family's well-being. Given that these skills can be developed, and the significant positive influence they have on a child's growth and adaptation, it is essential to offer specialized educational programs to gifted children. These programs should aim to enhance their emotional skills, which, in turn, can indirectly bolster the psychological health of the family unit as a whole.

Family Functioning and Internalizing and Externalizing Problems in Gifted Children

INTRODUCTION

Although gifted children can express high cognitive skills, they can also show socioemotional difficulties. Drawing from Olson's circumplex model, the present paper assessed the role of family functioning in internalizing and externalizing problems in gifted children.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

362 mothers and their 362 gifted children were included. The unbalanced subscales of the FACES IV-disengagement, enmeshment, rigidity, and chaos-and the CBCL were administered to mothers. The children completed the WISC-IV.

RESULTS

The model predicting internalizing problems was significant and explained 5.6% of the variance. Only rigidity had an independent and positive effect on internalizing problems in gifted children over and above sociodemographic variables and QI, whereas disengagement, enmeshment, and chaos were not associated with internalizing problems. The model predicting externalizing problems was significant and explained 10% of the variance. Again, rigidity was the only variable that had an independent and positive effect on externalizing problems in gifted children over and above sociodemographic variables and QI, whereas disengagement, enmeshment, and chaos were not associated with externalizing problems in this population.

DISCUSSION

Rigid families with a low ability to change in conditions that require readjustment appear to increase the risk of both internalizing and externalizing problems in gifted children. Although further studies are needed to support these preliminary findings, parental support interventions aimed at increasing flexibility appear to be useful.

Examining different motivational patterns in individualized learning

Past research on situated expectancy-value theory has regularly provided evidence of different motivational patterns indicating that not only can students be characterized by different levels of motivation (e.g., low vs. high), but also by divergent profiles (e.g., high success expectancies, low task values). This person-oriented two-wave study (a) identified and compared the motivational patterns of secondary school students from different learning environments (i.e., Student-Centered Learning vs. Teacher-Directed Learning), (b) analyzed the stability of and changes to these patterns during a school year, and (c) examined whether achievement-related choices and performance predicted the pattern changes. Using data from German secondary school students (T1: N = 1153; M = 13.97 years, SD = 1.37; 49% girls) multigroup latent transition analysis revealed four different motivational patterns, including a (a) High Motivational pattern, (b) Medium Motivational pattern, (c) Low Motivational pattern, and (d) Highly Confident/Hardly Interested pattern. The distribution of these patterns differed significantly between students from Student-Centered-Learning and Teacher-Directed-Learning environments. Approximately 47% of students in Teacher-Directed Learning were in the low motivational class whereas the Student-Centered Learning environment exhibited approximately half of that number. The extremely stable nature of these classes highlights the strong relevance of the educational context for student motivation and supports situated expectancy-value theory.

Developmental Trajectory of Depressive Symptoms from Early Childhood through High School in Children and Adolescents with a High Intellectual Potential

We aimed to explore the developmental trajectory of depressive symptoms in a national sample of French children with a high intellectual potential (HIP) seeking help from gifted organizations. Participants were drawn from a national retrospective survey sent to 1200 families with HIP children (IQ ≥ 130) from primary to high school and they answered a self-report questionnaire of a depression scale (MDI-C). The children's parents completed a self-report questionnaire collected on different stages of the child's school level, perinatality, psychomotor development, health, family's history, behavior, interpersonal relationships and daily activities, school performance, presence of learning disorders and remediation. Four hundred and twenty HIP children were eligible with an IQ ≥ 130 aged from 8 to 17 years-old, 49% with depressive symptoms and 51% with no depressive symptoms. Analysis of 136 variables from anamnestic fields based on the use of Spearman's ρ test (ρ) with a non-parametric correlations showed that "learning disabilities" are significantly related to depressive symptoms in different groups (primary p = 0.001, middle p = 0.02, high school p = 0.001) as well as "difficulties in psychomotor skills" during primary (p = 0.003) and middle school (p = 0.02). Good relationships with family as well as with peers are significantly negatively correlated with depressive symptoms from childhood to primary (p = 0.003) and high school (p = 0.02). Certain details of correlations between the MDI-C scale's subfactors and anamnestic variables were analyzed. The ANOVA test about the MDI-C scale showed provocation as a significant marker at middle school (F (1, 418) = 3.487, p = 0.03) and low self-esteem at high school (F (1, 418) = 3.337, p = 0.03). A holistic developmental approach allowed us to highlight the risk factors of depression with a developmental trajectory origin linked to disorders of social adjustment and psychomotor skills and to the importance of misdiagnosed learning disabilities because of giftedness. Our findings support the interest in an early identification of and intervention in depression risk to improve clinical decision making on the effect of giftedness on mental health outcomes.

Parenting style and children emotion management skills among Chinese children aged 3-6: the chain mediation effect of self-control and peer interactions

Drawing on ecosystem theory, which is based on the interaction of family environment, individual characteristics, and social adaptation, this study aimed to examine the effects of parenting style on emotion management skills and the mediating roles of self-control and peer interactions among Chinese children aged 3-6 years. Some studies have investigated the relationship between parenting style and emotion management skills. However, research on the underlying mechanisms is still deficient. A sample of 2,303 Chinese children completed the PSDQ-Short Version, the Self-Control Teacher Rating Questionnaire, the Peer Interaction Skills Scale, and the Emotion Management Skills Questionnaire. The results show that: (1) Authoritarian parenting style negatively predicted children's emotion management skills, self-control, and peer interactions; (2) Authoritative parenting style positively predicted children's emotion management skills, self-control, and peer interactions; (3) Structural equation models indicated that self-control and peer interactions partially mediated the effects of authoritarian and authoritative parenting styles. The parenting style of Chinese children aged 3-6 years is related to emotion management skills, and self-control and peer interactions have chain mediating effects between parenting style and children's emotion management skills. These results provide further guidance for the prevention and intervention of emotional and mental health problems in children.

Gifted Children through the Eyes of Their Parents:Talents, Social-Emotional Challenges, and Educational Strategies from Preschool through Middle School

Few studies have been conducted analyzing the experience of raising a gifted child. The present exploratory study focused on examining the profiles of a sample of 44 gifted children, exploring aspects related to health status, precociousness of development, and peculiarities of their potentiality and peculiar emotional profile. Through the administration of a semi-structured questionnaire and an in-depth interview, the experience of parents of gifted children was also analyzed, deepening the challenges they have to face and the educational strategies they implement. The evidence that emerged helps shed light on specific aspects that characterize gifted children and have implications for family educational practices.

Do Faculty Members Apply the Standards for Developing Gifted Students at Universities? An Exploratory Study

Many studies indicate the importance of the management and nurturing of giftedness. They also focus on talent development, primarily, where the main objective is enhancing academic abilities. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to explore the reality of faculty members’ application of talent development standards; this is necessary for laying the practical foundations to enhance the academic abilities of talented students according to the standards for verifying quality, and for clarifying the skills and concepts that are taught. The current study was based on the opinions of 122 faculty members from Saudi public universities who had experiences with gifted students, whereby they answered the following question: Do faculty members apply the standards for developing gifted students at universities? The data were collected by developing an instrument. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics that mostly showed the reality of the application of the selected gifted development standards. The results of the perceptions of the faculty members participating in the study showed differences in the application of the proposed gifted development standards according to their academic rank.