Persons who most impress gifted youth: a replication

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Gifted Education

Background:

• Understanding role models is crucial for gifted youth development.
• Previous research by Karnes and Lee (1982) explored admired individuals among gifted students.

Purpose of the Study:

• To replicate a study on admired individuals among gifted youth.
• To identify the categories of people who most impress gifted students and the reasons why.

Main Methods:

• Conducted a study with 95 students in a gifted summer program.
• Students indicated their most impressive person and provided reasons for their choice.

Main Results:

• Family members were the most frequently chosen category (61.1%).
• Arts/culture figures and those in specific jobs were next (8.4%), followed by peers and sports stars (6.3%).
• Moral/religious figures were least impressive (2.1%).

Conclusions:

• Family remains the primary influence on gifted youth.
• The findings align with previous research, highlighting consistent patterns in admired figures.
• This study underscores the importance of familial relationships and diverse role models for gifted adolescents.