Stereotypes about gifted individuals are often based on long ago proposed hypotheses. The ‘disharmony hypothesis’ – that they lack non-cognitive abilities – is one such instance. The ‘disharmony hypothesis’ is a broad generalization which negatively portrays the gifted as socially and emotionally disabled. Ascribed to all gifted children, this hypothesis pre-supposes disruptive behaviors, absentmindedness, and arrogance. A 2016 study (Baudson & Preckel, 2013 & 2016) in Germany found it a prevalent stereotype among pre-service/in-service teachers.
When confronted with negative stereotypes, GT students may respond by trying to avoid or deny their gifted identification. Negative expectations on the part of adults can cause some students to react by fulfilling those expectations (Jussim & Harbor, 2016). Negative gender stereotypes (i.e., girls aren’t good at math/science) can impair Gt students reaching their full potential by trying to ‘fit in’.
Stereotypes based on gifted identification and gender may affect how teachers view and/or interact with female students. When negative stereotypes are considered in identifying gifted students (such as behaviors), female gifted students may be overlooked (Preckel et al, 2015). Recent studies (Lubinski, Benbow, & Kell, 2014) actually show that female gifted students were often viewed more favorably in school than their male counterparts.
Stereotypes can affect a teacher’s expectations of what they believe a student can do or how they should behave; i.e., expecting quirky behavior. In some instances, this may lead to students adapting to these stereotypes. Decisions about who is identifies for gifted programs and the scope of those programs may be guided by stereotypes about GT students. This may result in limiting opportunities for these students. Stereotypes confirming a teacher’s personal bias may influence how teachers respond to students identified as gifted leading to negative interactions.
What can be done to change teachers’ negative stereotypes about GT students? Specific information should be shared with pre-service teachers at the undergraduate level regarding research-based evidence about GT students. Professional development in two areas is essential when attempting to change negative stereotypes: 1) increased knowledge about giftedness and 2) understanding about the consequences of those stereotypes. An important aspect of countering negative stereotypes is frequent contact with gifted students over time; throughout a teacher’s career.
A transcript of this chat can be found at Wakelet.
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About the author: Lisa Conrad is the Moderator of Global #gtchat Powered by TAGT and Social Media Manager of the Global #gtchat Community. She is a longtime advocate for gifted children and also blogs at Gifted Parenting Support. Lisa can be contacted at: gtchatmod@gmail.com
Resources:
The Unique Psychological Needs of Gifted and Talented Students | Dr. Gail Post
The Impact of Teacher Perception of Gifted Individuals on the Instruction of Gifted Students (pdf, Thesis, 2022)
Common Myths about Gifted Students (pdf)
Common Myths About Gifted Children (pdf) | California Gifted Network
How Pop Culture Stereotypes Impact the Self-Concept of Highly Gifted People
Stereotypes of Giftedness in Current and Future Educators
6 Myths and Misconceptions About Gifted Children
Do Mass Media Shape Stereotypes About Intellectually Gifted Individuals? Two Experiments on Stigmatization Effects From Biased Newspaper Reports | Gifted Child Quarterly
Beyond the Gifted Stereotype | ASCD
The Mad Genius Stereotype: Still Alive and Well
Nerds and Geeks: Society’s Evolving Stereotypes of Our Students with Gifts and Talents (pdf) | Gifted Child Today
Differences in self-concept between gifted and non-gifted students: A meta-analysis from 2005 to 2020 (pdf) | Annals of Psychology
Understanding the Stereotypes Against Gifted Students: A look at the social and emotional struggles of stereotyped students (pdf) | Academic Leadership: The Online Journal
Teachers’ Implicit Personality Theories About the Gifted: An Experimental Approach | School Psychology Quarterly
‘Troublesome boys’ and ‘compliant girls’: Gender identity and perceptions of achievement and underachievement | British Journal of Sociology of Education
Stereotype threat in classroom settings: The interactive effect of domain identification, task difficulty and stereotype threat on female students’ maths performance | British Journal of Educational Psychology
Bullying and the Gifted: Welcome Back to School?
The Social, Cultural, and Political Aspects of Intelligence
One of the Greatest Barriers to Gifted Education | Dr. Gail Post
Graphic courtesy of Lisa Conrad.
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