An assessment of the social status and perceived personality and school traits of gifted students by non-gifted peers

This study investigated the social status of gifted elementary pupils enrolled in an educational pull-out program with their non-gifted peers. In addition, the perceived personality, physical, and school attributes of the gifted students were assessed by their non-gifted peers. Strong gender differences were found in that while gifted boys were the most popular of the four gifted x gender groups, gifted girls were the least popular. Girls overall were perceived as generally moody or sad, while boys were perceived as being funny and having a good sense of humor. Gifted boys were perceived to be more physically attractive than non-gifted boys and were found to be less aggressive, more creative, and smarter than children in the other groups. Results are discussed in terms of differing behavioral attributes and cultural expectations of gifted boys and girls.