Out-of-School Activities in Gifted Adolescents as a Predictor of Vocational Choice and Work Accomplishment in Young Adults

Abstract

The long-term predictive validity of out-ofschoo I activities in adolescence as predictors of later vocational choice and accomplishment was investigatedin 31 young adults who had been identifid as intellectually g$edas adokscents. The baselinc measure tapped leisure activities and accomp Iishments in eight spccifc activity domains (science/mathematics, social, dance, music, art, creative writing, drama, and sports). It was administered when research participants were in the senior year of high school. The criterion measure was administered approximately 13 years later andprovided /I classification of current ocwpation according to tbe Roe vocationalfirldr anda measure of adult work accomp lishment. We faund a significant relationship between the domain of out-ofschool activity in ahlescence and the Amain of vocationalactiuity in adu Ithood Moreovcr, subjects whose ahkscent out-ofschool activities matebed adult occupation had a higher level of work accomplishmcnt than subjects Sfor whom such a match was absent.

Creative Thinking in Mathematics in Israeli High School Students

“…Evidence of the predictive validity of challenging out-of-school activities with reference to life accomplishments, career choice, and career satisfaction has been established, but not in mathematics (Milgram, 1993;Milgram & Hong, 1994;Milgram, Hong, Shavit, & Peled, 1997). The creative activities in mathematics measure that was developed for use in the current study might provide career counselors with a useful tool to use with adolescents to predict career choice and accomplishment in mathematics.…”

Test-Taking Strategies of High and Low Mathematics Achievers

“…Studies have provided moderate to strong evidence of the construct validity of the instrument (Hong & Milgram, 1996;. Researchers also evidenced predictive validity in two longitudinal studies Milgram et al, 1997). Both of those studies demonstrated the efficacy of out-ofschool activities and accomplishments as predictors of career choice and accomplishment.…”

“…Researchers have used the long form of AAI (TAAI; Milgram, 1990Milgram, , 1998 with children, adolescents, and young adults (Hong & Milgram, 1991;Milgram & Hong, 1994;Milgram, Hong, Shavit, & Peled, 1997). Studies have provided moderate to strong evidence of the construct validity of the instrument (Hong & Milgram, 1996;.…”

Identifying and enhancing talent in Israel: A high national priority

“…The TAAI has been translated from Hebrew into six other languages including English (Milgram, Dunn, & Price, 1993) and has been used in research in many countries. It is available at different age levels and has been used with children as young as 3 (Hong & Milgram, 1991), with highly intellectually gifted candidates for the Talpiot program (Milgram & Hong, 1998, 1999a, 1999bMilgram, Hong, Shavit, & Peled, 1997) and with young adults who represent a wide range of intellectual abilities, as well (Milgram & Hong, 1994). Over the years these studies have provided strong evidence for the validity and usefulness of the approach and the test.…”