Self‐perceptions and needs as a function of type of academic ability and gender

Negative self‐perceptions and feelings that one is different make academically talented students at risk for social problems and underachievement. One‐hundred seventy‐four academically talented eighth grade students (47% males) completed the Multidimensional Self‐Concept Scale and the Adjective Check List. Relative to a normative group of adolescents, these students had significantly higher academic self‐concepts but similar social self‐concepts. Academically talented females had stronger needs for achievement, dominance, and endurance, but weaker needs for succorance and abasement than a normative group of females. Students were grouped by their SAT Math and Verbal scores: Moderate Math/ Moderate Verbal, Moderate Math/ High Verbal, High Math/Moderate Verbal, and High Math/ High Verbal. High verbal students had weaker needs to be nurturant and had less interest in relationships with opposite‐gender persons than students moderate in math and verbal areas. High verbal students may be at greater risk for social adjustment problems.