Subjective Predictors of Psychological Well-being of Gifted Adolescents

Abstract

Тhe paper presents the results of empirical verification of the theoretical model of subjective predictors for the psychological well-being of gifted adolescents, including subjectivity, hardiness, self-efficacy, the general emotional background, represented by the level of personal anxiety, and characteristics of the self-concept of adolescents.It was assumed that the factors moderating the relationship of these variables are the attitude of adolescents to their own giftedness, as well as the specificity of the activity in which adolescents show signs of giftedness, and the level of their achievements in it.The sample consisted of 422 adolescents aged 15–17 years enrolled in specialized educational programs for adolescents who show academic, mathematical, leadership and sports talent.The collection of empirical data was carried out using questionnaires and testing (Scale of psychological well-being; Frankfurt scales of self-assessment; Questionnaire of subjectivity; Test of hardiness; The self-efficacy scale; Test for determining self-efficacy; Integrative test of anxiety).Structural equation modeling was done using the IBM SPSS Statistics ver.23 software package and the AMOS module made it possible to recognize subjectiveness (p<0.001), the psychological well-being of gifted adolescents and the influence subjectivity and hardiness is mediated by the attitude of adolescents to their own giftedness (p<0.01), which, in turn, is determined by the level of their achievements (p<0.01).The characteristics of the self-concept, as well as such factors as "the type of activity in which the signs of giftedness are manifested" and "gender", were not included in the empirical model.The prognostic potential of the model and the possibility of solving on its basis the tasks associated with the psychological support of the personal development of gifted adolescents are discussed.