Gifted and Maladjusted? Implicit Attitudes and Automatic Associations Related to Gifted Children

Abstract

The disharmony hypothesis (DH) states that high intelligence comes at a cost to the gifted, resulting in adjustment problems. We investigated whether there is a gifted stereotype that falls in line with the DH and affects attitudes toward gifted students. Preservice teachers (N = 182) worked on single-target association tests and affective priming tasks. High intelligence was more strongly associated with gifted than with average-ability students. Adjustment problems were more strongly associated with gifted than with average-ability students for males only. Attitudes toward gifted students were neutral when no component of the DH was activated but were negative toward gifted males when adjustment difficulties were activated. Implicit associations and attitudes were in line with the DH—but only for male students.

Do stereotypes strike twice? Giftedness and gender stereotypes in pre-service teachers’ beliefs about student characteristics in Australia

“…However, gifted male and female students were perceived as equally more maladjusted compared to average-ability students. This finding is in contrast to the findings by Preckel et al (2015) who found that pre-service teachers associated gifted male students most strongly with adjustment problems. However, Preckel et al (2015) investigated implicit stereotypes, that is, beliefs of which people do not need to be aware, whereas we assessed explicit stereotypes, that is, beliefs that people consciously endorse.…”

“…This finding is in contrast to the findings by Preckel et al (2015) who found that pre-service teachers associated gifted male students most strongly with adjustment problems. However, Preckel et al (2015) investigated implicit stereotypes, that is, beliefs of which people do not need to be aware, whereas we assessed explicit stereotypes, that is, beliefs that people consciously endorse. Explicit and implicit beliefs can be unrelated to each other (e.g., Gawronski & Bodenhausen, 2006).…”

“…Some studies did not find gender differences in teachers' beliefs about gifted students' personality (Baudson & Preckel, 2013), prosociality, adjustment (Baudson & Preckel, 2016), work ethics, or social skills (Freund-Braier, 2009). Other studies found that teachers perceived gifted male students as more self-centred (Busse et al, 1986a(Busse et al, , 1986b and associated adjustment problems more strongly with gifted male students compared to gifted female students (Preckel, Baudson, Krolak-Schwerdt, & Glock, 2015). Gifted female students were attributed higher social competencies, higher social integration (Endepohls-Ulpe, 2004), higher socio-emotional skills (Gagné, 1993), higher work ethics, and higher work quality (Siegle & Reis, 1998) than gifted male students.…”

“…Hypothesis b: Pre-service teachers' beliefs might be least favourable towards gifted male students as compared to gifted females and average-ability students (e.g., Busse et al, 1986aBusse et al, , 1986bPreckel et al, 2015). Pre-service teachers' negative beliefs about giftedness might be negatively reinforced for male students because of the association of male students with disruptive, immature, and disinclined behaviour in the classroom (Deaux & LaFrance, 1998;Jones & Myhill, 2004).…”

Exceptional intelligence and easygoingness may hurt your prospects: Threshold effects for rated mate characteristics

“…If elevated IQ levels are, in fact, associated with negative biological and/or psycho-social characteristics, then it is possible that, as a group, the participants in this investigation were influenced by such considerations. Alternatively, the participants may have appealed to stereotypes relevant to those with very elevated levels of intelligence (Baudson & Preckel, 2013;Preckel, Baudson, Krolak-Schwerdt, & Glock, 2015).…”