Relations between Academic Aptitude and Psychosocial Adjustment in Gifted Program Students

Abstract

Is high academic aptitude an asset or a liability to psychosocial adjustment among gifted program students? This brief report examined contrasting hypotheses that the relation between academic aptitude and psychosocial adjustment is positive, negative, or curvilinear for high ability students. Robustness of study findings was examined in three diverse groups of gifted program students: 1) 151 second grade students participating in public school gifted programs; 2) 264 5th to 11th grade students attending a university summer enrichment program; and 3) 60 adolescent females enrolled in an early college entrance program. Psychosocial adjustment was assessed by measures of academic, social, and general self-concept in all three groups, with additional adjustment measures specific to each group. Results of hierarchical multiple regression analyses provided little evidence for a relation between aptitude scores and adjustment within this restricted range.