This study explored individual, family, and school-related factors contributing to underachievement among gifted preadolescents. We explored three simple models of factors contributing to underachievement as well as a complex model provided the best fit for the data, yet each of the three simple models was significant, suggesting the importance of an ecological approach to problems of underachievement among gifted students. Intervention approaches deriving from each model were discussed.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Achenbach, T.M. (1982). Developmental psychopathology (2nd ed.). New York: Wiley & Sons .
2.
Adderholt-Elliott, M. (1991). Perfectionism and the gifted child. In M. Bireley & J. Genshaft (Eds.), Understanding the gifted adolescent. New York: Teachers College Press.
3.
Albert, R. (1978). Observations and suggestions regarding giftedness, familial influence and the achievement of eminence. Gifted Child Quarterly, 28, 201-211.
4.
Baker, J.A. (1996). Everyday stressors of academically gifted adolescents. Journal of Secondary GiftedEducation, 7, 356-368.
Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The ecology of human development. Boston: Harvard University Press.
7.
Brown, B.B., & Steinberg, L. (1990). Skirting the "brain-nerd" connection: Academic achievement and social acceptance. Education Digest, 55, 57-60.
8.
Bruns, J. (1992). They can but they don't. New York: Viking.
9.
Christenson, S.L., Rounds, T., & Gorney, D. (1992). Family factors and student achievement: An avenue to increase students' success. School Psychology Quarterly , 7, 178-206.
10.
Clinkenbeard, P.R. (1991). Unfair expectations: A pilot study of middle school students' comparisons of gifted and regular classes. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 15, 56-63.
11.
Colangelo, N., & Dettmann, D. (1983). A review of research on parents and families of gifted children. Exceptional Children, 50, 20-27.
12.
Compton, M.F. (1982). The gifted underachiever in middle school. Roeper Review, 4, 23-25.
13.
Crittenden, M.R., Kaplan, M.H., & Heim, J.K. (1984). Developing effective study skills and self-confidence in academically able young adolescents. Gifted Child Quarterly , 28, 25-30.
14.
Dowdall, C.B., & Colangelo, N. (1982). Understanding gifted students: Review and implications . Gifted Child Quarterly, 26, 179-183.
15.
Emerick, L.J. (1992). Academic underaehievement among the gifted: Students' perceptions of factors that reverse the pattern. Gifted Child Quarterly, 36, 140-146.
Fine, M. (1992). A systems-ecological perspective on home-school intervention. In M.J. Fine & C. Carlson (Eds.), Handbook offamily-school interventions: A systems perspective (pp. 1-17). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
18.
Freeman, J. (1994). Some emotional aspects of being gifted. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 17, 180-197.
19.
Gallagher, J.J. (1991). Personal patterns of underachievement. Special Issue: Update: Underserved gifted. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 14, 221-233.
20.
Gonzalez, J., & Hayes, A. (1988). Psyehosocial aspects of the development of gifted underachievers: review and implications. The Exceptional Child , 35(1), 39-51.
21.
Green, S.B. (1991). How many subjects does it take to do a regression analysis?Multivariate Behavioral Research, 26, 499-510.
22.
Green, K., Fine, M., & Tollefson, N. (1988). Family systems characteristics and underachieving gifted adolescent males. Gifted Child Quarterly, 32, 267-272.
23.
Gurman, A. (1970). The role of the family in underaehievement. Journal of School Psychology, 8, 48-53.
24.
Heacox, D. (1991). Up from underachievement. Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Publishing.
25.
Hosmer, D.W., & Lemeshow, S. (1989). Applied logistic regression. New York: Wiley & Sons.
26.
Hughes, J., & Hall, R. (1989). Cognitive-behavioral psychology in the schools: A comprehensive handbook. New York: Guilford Press.
27.
Kanoy, R.C., III, Johnson, B.W., & Kanoy, K.W. (1980). Locus of control and self-concept in achieving and underachieving bright elementary students. Psychology in the Schools, 17, 395-399.
Kolb, K.J., & Jussim, L. (1994). Teacher expectations and underachieving gifted children. Roeper Review, 17, 26-30.
30.
Krouse, J., & Krouse, H. (1981). Toward a multimodal theory of academic underachievement . Educational Psychologist, 16, 151-164.
31.
Laffoon, K.S., Jenkins-Friedman, R., & Tollefson, N. (1989). Causal attributions of underachieving gifted, achieving gifted, and nongifted students. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 13(1), 4-21.
32.
Moos, R.H. (1979). The Family Environment Seale. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologist Press.
33.
Morgan, S.P., & Teachman, J.D. (1988). Logistic regression: Description, examples, and comparisons. Journal of Marriage and the Family , 50, 929-936.
34.
Muir-Broaddus, J.E. (1995). Gifted underachievers: Insights from the characteristics of strategic functioning associated with giftedness and achievement. Learning & Individual Differences, 7, 189-206.
35.
Noddings, N. (1992). The challenge to care in schools: An alternative approach to education. New York: Teachers College Press.
36.
Olszewski, P., Kulieke, M., & Buescher, T. (1987). The influence of the family environment on the development of talent: A literature review. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 11, 6-28.
37.
Pedhazur, E.J. (1982). Multiple regression in behavioral research: Prediction and explanation (2nd ed.). New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.
38.
Pendarvis, E.D. (1990). The abilities of gifted children. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
39.
Peterson, J.S., & Colangelo, N. (1996). Gifted achievers and underachievers: A comparison of patterns found in school files. Journal of Counseling & Development, 74, 339-407.
40.
Raph, J., Goldberg, M., & Passow, A. (1966). Bright underachievers. New York: Teachers College Press.
41.
Redding, R.E. (1990). Learning preferences and skill patterns among underachieving gifted adolescents. Gifted Child Quarterly , 34, 72-75.
42.
Reynolds, C., & Kamphaus, R. (1992). The Behavior Assessment System for Children. Minneapolis, MN: American Guidance Service.
43.
Rimm, S.B. (1986). Underachievement syndrome: causes and cures. Watertown, WI: Apple Publishing.
44.
Rimm, S. (1988). Identifying underachievement: The characteristics approach. GiftedChild Today, 11(1), 50-54.
45.
Rimm, S. (1989). Disappearance of underachievement. GiftedChild Today, 12, 36-39.
46.
Rimm, S., & Lowe, B. (1988). Family environments of underachieving gifted students . Gifted Child Quarterly, 32(4), 353-359.
47.
Robinson, A. (1986). Brave new directions: Needed research on the labeling of gifted children. Gifted Child Quarterly, 30, 11-14.
48.
Robinson, A. (1989). Gifted: The two-faced label. GiftedChild Today, 12(1), 34-36.
49.
Robinson, N.M., & Robinson, H.B. (1982). The optimal match: Devising the best compromise for the highly gifted student. New Directions for Child Development, 17, 79-94.
50.
Seeley, K.R. (1993). Gifted students at risk. In L.K. Silverman (Ed.), Counseling the gifted and talented (pp. 263-276). Denver: Love Publishing .
51.
Selman, R.L. (1980). The growth of interpersonal understanding. New York: Academic Press.
52.
Supplee, P.L. (1989). Students at risk: The gifted underachiever. Roeper Review, 11, 163-166.
53.
Van Boxtel, B.W., & Monks, F.J. (1992). General, social and academic self-concepts of gifted adolescents. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 21(2), 169-187.
54.
Webb, J.T., Meckstroth, E.A., & Tolan, M. (1982). Guiding the gifted child: A practical source for parents and teachers. Columbus, OH: OhioPsychology Press.
Whitmore, J.R. (1989). Understanding a lack of motivation to excel. Gifted Child Quarterly, 30(2), 66-69.
57.
Weiner, B. (1994). Ability versus effort revisited: The moral determinants of achievement evaluation and achievement as a moral system. Educational Psychologist, 29, 163-172.
