Identification as Gifted and Implicit Beliefs About Intelligence: An Examination of Potential Moderators

• Published in: Journal of advanced academics 2013-11, Vol.24 (4), p.242-258
• Main Authors: Snyder, Kate E., Barger, Michael M., Wormington, Stephanie V., Schwartz-Bloom, Rochelle, Linnenbrink-Garcia, Lisa
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Academic Ability; Academic Achievement; Academically Gifted; Achievement Need; Adjustment; Age Differences; Beliefs; College Entrance Examinations; College Freshmen; College students; Educational Experience; Emotional Problems; Failure; Gifted; Gifted children; Goal Orientation; Intelligence; Labeling; Multiple Regression Analysis; Persistence; Positive Reinforcement; SAT (College Admission Test); Scores; Student Attitudes; Student Surveys; Studies; Success; Summer Programs; Talent Identification; Teachers
• ISSN: 1932-202X; 2162-9536
• DOI: 10.1177/1932202X13507971

The current study investigated whether the developmental timing of a student’s identification as gifted (i.e., when a student is first identified) was associated with later implicit beliefs about intelligence, and whether this relation is moderated by academic ability. A sample of 1,743 high-ability college students reported on whether and when they had been identified as gifted, academic ability (SAT scores), and implicit beliefs of intelligence. Timing of identification was unrelated to implicit beliefs; academic ability was the only significant predictor. Higher ability students who had been previously identified as gifted at any point in time reported implicit beliefs more toward entity beliefs than relatively lower ability students who had also been identified; however, this effect was quite small. Implicit beliefs did not vary by ability level for nonidentified students. These findings suggest that identification as gifted at any age modestly (but not necessarily meaningfully) relates to implicit beliefs for high-ability students.