The disappearance of giftedness in girls: An intervention strategy

The problem of the gifted female can be simply stated: she is evident early in life and then disappears (Hollingworth, 1934; Navarre, 1980; Terman, 1930). In this pilot study fourteen gifted girls, grouped by age into two sections (10–11 and 12–18 years old), participated in seven sessions designed to stimulate awareness of gender‐related social and personal concerns. Self‐concept, pre‐ and post‐tested using the Piers‐Harris Self‐Concept Test, showed a statistically significant increase, below .10 level of probability. As many researchers and practitioners have found that “the view of self determines achievement” (Clark, 1983, p. 108, citing Allport, May, Maslow, Rogers and others), raising the self‐concept of gifted girls by increasing their awareness of women's issues may be one way to increase the likelihood of their achieving at gifted potential.