Questionnaires were given to students prior to testing for giftedness to assess how the gifted identification process changes attitudes to ward gifted programs and parent-child relationships. After those identified as gifted had been participating in a pullout gifted program for one semester, another questionnaire was administered to all original participants. Comparable data were also collected from the students' parents. Results suggest that prior to identification, gifted and nongifted students and their parents shared similar attitudes toward giftedness. After identification, attitudes showed either no change or decreased. Compared to their gifted counterparts, nongifted students and their parents tended to report lower attitudes after identification. The impact of this attenuation and the use of preidentification data are also discussed.
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