Assessing Adjustment Problems of Gifted Students in Hong Kong: The Development of the Student Adjustment Problems Inventory

Abstract

An 18-item inventory, the Student Adjustment Problems Inventory (SAPI-1.8). was developed to assess the adjustment problems encountered by 290 Chinese secondary students who were nominated by their respective schools to join the Chinese University of Hong Kong gifted programs. The preliminary 32-item version of this inventory was constructed and then revised to reflect gifted students' adjustment problems in school and at home, based on feedback from teachers, students, and parents. The results of item factor analysis of the 32-item version yielded 6 problem dimensions/domains: relationship/ability concerns, Unchallenging schoolwork, intense involvement, concerns for being different, parental expectations, and perfectionism. Students' self-report data indicated that strong feelings and involvement, unchallenging schoolwork, and high parental expectations could be common problems among gifted and talented students in Hong Kong. Implications of the findings for meeting the counseling needs of gifted students with adjustment difficulties, as well as suggestions for the refinement of the inventory and for cross-cultural investigations, are discussed.