Perceptions of the Emotional Self for Adolescents Who Are Gifted

ABSTRACT

Self-report, trait-based instruments have provided data about adolescents and their emotional development. However, a holistic and self-referential view of the emotionality of the adolescent who is gifted remains elusive. The theoretical framework of emotionality was tailored for this inquiry by combining two prominent theories of emotional intelligence with emotional development. This merge allowed for the generation of a large body of descriptive statements. These were sampled according to procedures in Q methodology to result in 41 statements, which were sorted by 28 adolescents identified as gifted by their public school district personnel. Q factor analyses revealed four types of emotionality among the gifted adolescents who participated, which were interpreted as Humanitarians, Politicians, Regulators, and Stabilizers. These findings provide insight into the self-descriptions of emotional lives of adolescents who are gifted.

KEYWORDS:

• adolescence
• Dąbrowski
• emotionality
• giftedness
• Q methodology

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Elizabeth Anne Albright

Elizabeth Anne Albright was born in Texas and grew up in Thondwe, Malawi. She graduated from Rift Valley Academy in Kijabe, Kenya, and earned a Bachelor of Music Education from Oklahoma State University. After becoming a parent, she began work on a Master of Science in educational psychology and ultimately graduated from Oklahoma State University with her PhD in educational psychology. She currently holds a faculty position and is chair of the Psychology Department at Langston University. Her research interests include education for the gifted, third culture kids, resilience, and STEM through the lens of social and emotional development. [email protected]

Diane Montgomery

Diane Montgomery is Regents Professor Emerita in Educational Psychology at Oklahoma State University. She grew up on a small family farm in northern Minnesota and attended the University of Minnesota-Duluth for her bachelor’s degree in elementary education. Her Master’s degree from Western New Mexico University was followed by a PhD in education from the University of New Mexico where she specialized in gifted education and creativity studies. As a retired researcher and teacher, she continues to assist colleagues with research using Q methodology and writes in areas of creativity and transpersonal human development. [email protected]