Individual (Learning and Motivational) Needs versus Instructional Conditions of Gifted Education

A decisive factor in the determination of effective Gifted Education is the fit between the individual cognitive and motivational pre-conditions of the learning process and the instructional situation. This central thesis is based partly on the multidimensional talent and giftedness concepts and partly on the interaction between the individual learning needs and learning opportunities as found in the Aptitude-Treatment-Interaction Model (Corno & Snow, 1986). In a series of quasi-experiments in a school setting, so-called attributional retraining has proved to be an effective intervention method in reducing helplessness and similar unfavorable behavior patterns. This procedure works according to Weiner's causal attribution model (Weiner, 1986) and Dweck's model of achievement motivation (Dweck & Leggett, 1988). The possibilities of using this method in school settings are shown in this article and the method's contribution to the promotion of the gifted is discussed. This article is in part based on an invited address at the International Congress of Gifted Education in Zaragoza, Spain, 8-11 July 1998