THE PSYCHOSOCIAL ADJUSTMENT OF INTELLECTUALLY-GIFTED ADOLESCENTS IN SINGAPORE

Abstract

Drawing upon both survey and interview data on the psychosocial adjustment of gifted adolescents in Singapore, this study refutes the myth that gifted children are emotionally more stable than average children. By exploring the relationship between giftedness and adjustment among the gifted and nongifted adolescents, the study suggests that the gifted girls, in particular, appear to be having difficulties in reconciling the label of "giftedness" with their perception of femininity. Conceivably, this conflict places them on the threshold of stress, thus leaving them more vulnerable than the gifted boys to depression and other adjustment problems. In addition, having internalised the sex-role stereotypical view that academic excellence is of lesser importance to them than it is to the boys, the gifted girls may inadvertently put ceilings on their own achievements. The interview data also explore the coping skills employed by the gifted adolescents in handling three possible stress-inducing areas in their lives: the label of "giftedness"; the greater academic demands; and loneliness. The study ends with some policy implications for the Gifted Education Programme in Singapore.