Cognitive Representation of Gifted Primary Schoolchildren’s Identity

Abstract

Intellectual giftedness is a factor that manifests itself not only in a child's ability to solve complex problems, but also in the nature of his/her attitude towards himself/herself and the world. The aim of our study was to identify the specific features of self-presentation of 7-8 year old gifted children. The aim of the study was to find meaningful differences in self-descriptions of gifted children. The children's narratives on the topic "I am a person" were subjected to quantitative and qualitative analysis. The theme of the story sets the framework for the expression of social and personal identity of the author and allows him or her to emphasize those areas of life which are relevant to him or her at the time of the story-writing. 58 first-grade children took part in the study. The experimental group consisted of 24 children with a GAI (general ability index) score above 130 (WISC). As expected, a distinctive feature of the narrative identity of intellectually gifted children is the similarity of their cognitive representation to that of older children. They find a broader range of distinguishing characteristics and are more likely to use generalized concepts rather than concrete ones. Gifted children are statistically more likely to use basic human characteristics in their stories, to use concepts to express their thoughts, to find distinctive features, to mention the meaning of life, and to emphasize their own opinions. Gifted children are more likely to show signs of overcoming childhood egocentrism and identifying with the global 'human' in their stories. Gifted children make demands of themselves as adults, so they are characterized by fluctuating self-esteem. On the one hand, they emphasize their personal and universal capabilities. On the other hand, they often point out their deficiencies, comparing themselves to "ideal" adults. Intellectual giftedness has been found to be a significant factor influencing self-perception and the formation of a child's social identity. The findings are important for understanding the natural development of gifted children.