Psychosocial Experiences and Adjustment Among Adult Swedes With Superior General Mental Ability

Stålnacke, Jannica; Smedler, Ann-Charlotte

doi:10.1177/0162353211424988

Cited by 10 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…The HIQ group reported, as expected in hypothesis 1, higher crisis of meaning and lower self-control than the HAA group. These results are in line with findings of scholars who suggested existential troubles [14,23], lower psychosocial adjustment among the HIQ [25][26][27][28][29], and group differences between HIQ and HAA [14,23].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

“…This is particularly alarming when considering that intellectually gifted adults' meaning in life predicted their subjective well-being in a longitudinal study [24]. A broad body of studies with intellectually gifted persons suggests a similar tendency for psychosocial issues, such as a vulnerability for affective disorders and immune-related diseases [25], identity problems, compulsivity [26], a low sense of coherence [27], a fearful attachment style [28], and the perception of being different [29].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Crisis of Meaning and Subjective Well-Being: The Mediating Role of Resilience and Self-Control among Gifted Adults

Vötter

2019

Behavioral Sciences

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Meaning in life is positively associated with mental and physical health, while a crisis of meaning is a painful existential state that is defined as a perceived lack of meaning. An earlier study has shown that academically high-achieving adults mostly experience existential fulfilment, while intellectually gifted adults have a disproportionally high risk of suffering from a crisis of meaning, which can weaken their potential fulfilment in life. To uncover the underlying mechanisms of how an existential crisis affects gifted adults’ mental health, this study examines the longitudinal relationship between crisis of meaning and subjective well-being via two mediators: self-control and resilience. A multiple mediation model was tested with longitudinal data (two times of measurement) of two gifted groups: intellectually gifted adults (HIQ; N = 100; 55% female) and academically high-achieving adults (HAA; N = 52; 29% female). Results suggest group differences: HIQ had higher crisis of meaning and lower self-control than the HAA. HIQ’s resilience (but not their self-control) and HAA’s self-control (but not their resilience) mediated the relationship between crisis of meaning and subjective well-being. These findings give initial insights about the distinct psychological needs of gifted adults and their different paths toward subjective well-being. These insights can be applied in future giftedness research, talent development programs, or counseling to support gifted individuals in living up to their potential. Thus, HIQ could benefit particularly from supporting their ability to cope with adversity, while HAA could benefit particularly from strengthening their willpower to modify undesired emotions, behaviors, and desires.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Crisis of Meaning and Subjective Well-Being: The Mediating Role of Resilience and Self-Control among Gifted Adults

Vötter

2019

Behavioral Sciences

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“…Prior research has utilized Slosson IQ scores to measure giftedness (Fuchs-Beauchamp, Karnes, & Johnson, 1993;Moon, Swift, & Shallenberger, 2002). A score of 130 for Wave 1 Slosson IQ scores was used to identify students as gifted, as this IQ score has been traditionally utilized as a cut point for giftedness, given that it indicates that students are scoring past the top two standard deviations on a normed measure, placing students in the top 2-3% of ability for their age (Ostatnikova, 2011;Stålnacke & Smedler, 2011). This grouping for the current study resulted in 173 gifted students (18.6% of the final sample).…”

Section: Gifted Samplementioning

confidence: 99%

Developmental pathways in underachievement

Snyder

Carrig

Linnenbrink‐Garcia

2019

Applied Developmental Science

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Despite decades of research attention given to academic underachievement, longitudinal and developmental investigation of this phenomenon has been sparse. To address this shortcoming, the current study used a longitudinal, person-centered approach to identify latent subgroups of growth in the joint development of underachievement and four motivational beliefs (self-concept, task importance, psychological cost value, and self-worth) from first through sixth grade. Two types of underachievement latent classes emerged: one characterized by sustained underachievement and the other by growing underachievement (an Achievement class was also consistently found). Sustained, chronic underachievement was not associated with declines in self-concept or task importance, but was related to moderately lower levels of psychological cost value and self-worth, and was also related to lower middle school academic achievement. Growing underachievement was associated with lower and declining self-concept and task importance. Although differential class membership by gifted status was hypothesized, no such effects were found. Gender effects were found for the Task Importance and Self-Worth models in the hypothesized direction, but this effect was not as robust as in prior research. Findings from the current study build on prior research highlighting heterogeneity among underachieving students. v Dedication This dissertation is dedicated with love and deep gratitude to two very important people. …to my husband, Erik. Your patience, love, and support has sustained me throughout this journey, and I am forever grateful. None of this would be possible without you! …to Francia Barksdale. You touched the lives of so many gifted students over the course of your career, but most importantly, you inspired in me a profound passion for giftedness. I am so proud to follow in your footsteps.

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“…Roeper (1991) described gifted adults as feeling fundamentally different from others. Also Stålnacke and Smedler (2011), who studied adult members of the Swedish Mensa Society, came across such experiences of being different. Coherence could be another weakness in the lives of gifted adults.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bringing Giftedness to Bear: Generativity, Meaningfulness, and Self-Control as Resources for a Happy Life Among Gifted Adults

Vötter

Schnell

2019

Front. Psychol.

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Meaning in life has been found to be of particular importance for the subjective well-being of intellectually gifted individuals. However, there is a lack of research about what contributes to gifted adults’ meaning in life and how it could be enhanced. This study examined if the devotion of one’s gift or talent to the well-being of others—i.e., the source of meaning “generativity”—would lead to a sense of meaning and, in further consequence, result in higher subjective well-being over time. Furthermore, we hypothesized that the effect of meaningfulness on subjective well-being was conditional on trait self-control. Longitudinal data of two gifted groups was obtained via an online study: 100 intellectually gifted individuals (55% female; mean age 43 ± 9 years) and 52 high academic achievers (29% female; mean age 57 ± 14 years). The former group experienced significantly lower levels of meaningfulness (p = 0.001, η2 = 0.076), self-control (p < 0.001, η2 = 0.090), and generativity (p = 0.025, η2 = 0.034) than the latter. As expected, the actualization of generative orientations in life enhanced both gifted groups’ meaningfulness and, in further consequence, their subjective well-being over time. Furthermore, the positive association between life meaning and subjective well-being was enhanced by trait self-control among the intellectually gifted but not among the high academic achievers. However, as proposed, the latter’s subjective well-being was strongly related to self-control. Results highlight that a generative orientation can help gifted individuals to advance a personal sense of meaning and happiness over time. In this context, intellectually gifted individuals appear to particularly benefit from self-control. Consequently, the intrinsic willpower to subdue inner responses, emotions as well as undesired behaviors might strengthen the positive effect between sources of meaning, life meaning, and subjective well-being.

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Psychosocial Experiences and Adjustment Among Adult Swedes With Superior General Mental Ability

Cited by 10 publications

References 30 publications

Crisis of Meaning and Subjective Well-Being: The Mediating Role of Resilience and Self-Control among Gifted Adults

Crisis of Meaning and Subjective Well-Being: The Mediating Role of Resilience and Self-Control among Gifted Adults

Developmental pathways in underachievement

Bringing Giftedness to Bear: Generativity, Meaningfulness, and Self-Control as Resources for a Happy Life Among Gifted Adults

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