The Heterogeneity of Self-Portraits of Gifted Students in France

The objective of this research is to understand the diversity of gifted students’ self-representations through self-portrait analysis. Two hundred twenty-seven French gifted students (intelligence quotient ≥ 130; 45 girls, 182 boys), aged from 9 to 15 years completed the GPS instrument (Genèse des Perceptions de Soi [Genesis of the Self-Concept]). The authors analyzed data with ALCESTE content analysis software (Reinert, 2003). Using a descending hierarchical classification, results suggested a distinct six-class solution, as well as differences between classes depending on degree of academic achievement, age, type of schooling, and gender. These results do not support the notion that gifted students represent a homogeneous population in regard to their self-perceptions.