Citation: From The SENG Newsletter. 2002 2(3) 1-5.
Research with talented girls and women has revealed a number of personality factors, personal priorities, and social emotional issues that have consistently emerged as contributing reasons that many either cannot or do not realize their potential. Not all gifted females experience the same issues, but trends have been found in research about talented women that identify a combination of the following contributing reasons: dilemmas about abilities and talents, personal decisions about family, ambivalence of parents and teachers toward developing high levels of potential, and decisions about duty and caring (putting the needs of others first) as opposed to nurturing personal, religious, and social issues.
The personal and social emotional issues occur across women’s lifespans. Some affect the youngest girls and some are only apparent to women who have become involved in serious relationships in their college or graduate school years, or had children later in their lives. Older gifted women resolve many personal issues relating to ability and social issues experienced by younger gifted girls. It is also important to understand that some of these dilemmas cannot be resolved to the satisfaction of everyone involved; some dilemmas shift or are resolved due to changes in a woman’s life, such as the maturation of her children, the dissolution of a relationship, the reemergence of other relationships, or a change in environments at work or home. Therefore, when discussing social and emotional issues, it is difficult to discuss gifted girls without discussing gifted women, because many young gifted girls believe that they can “do it all” or “have it all,” while many older gifted females have learned that they cannot. These gifted girls were extremely bright in school, but as they got older, ambivalence about their future caused their hopes and career dreams to waver. Preventing this, and learning more about why hopes fade, is the reason that much of the research about gifted girls and women continues.
Some research has suggested that belief in ability and self-confidence of talented females is undermined or diminished during childhood or adolescence. In a qualitative study of five talented adolescents, not one participant attributed her success in school to extraordinary ability. Other research has indicated that despite a degree of “feminine modesty,” some gifted students acknowledged their abilities despite admitting fears about the future. Studies of gifted women provide essential information about experiences of smart girls during childhood and adolescence; some experiences cause confusion about future career and personal goals. The following review focuses on social and emotional issues faced by gifted females, including external and internal barriers.
External Barriers
The importance of environmental variables on the development of gifted and talented females cannot be overstated. Almost from birth, females find themselves in a world of limiting stereotypes and barriers to achievement. Research has identified external barriers that seem to negatively influence the development of talents and gifts in some gifted girls and women. These barriers include the role of parents, school, and the environment in general, as well as the need to develop a set of philosophical beliefs essential to creative and academic potential. In a society in which the majority of leaders and creators are male, a young female may not develop a philosophical belief about her own creative potential.
Parental Influences on Talented Females
Recent research has established the importance of parents’ attitudes and beliefs about the academic self-perceptions and achievement of their children. In some studies, parents’ beliefs about children’s abilities had an even greater effect on children’s self-perceptions than previous performance. Studies have found consistently significant correlations between parent expectations and student math self-concept. Memories of negative parental comments can haunt gifted and talented women decades after they left home. Parental opinions matter greatly to young girls, and subtle and not-so-subtle verbal and nonverbal messages may encourage or discourage girls for life.
Issues Relating to Teachers
Teachers are often more likely to identify gifted boys than gifted girls; gifted girls may hide their intelligence and silence their voices. Research indicates adults, both teachers and parents, may underestimate girls’ intelligence. Teachers may be less accurate in nominating talented girls for quantitative achievement and may like smart girls less than other students. Male teachers in particular have been found to view girls in more traditional terms, attributing characteristics that may limit recognition of girls’ abilities.
Teachers have been found to reinforce a prevalent sex stereotype—that males have more innate ability while females must work harder. Studies found teachers more often attribute ability to boys’ success than to girls’. Some teachers expect less from females, especially in mathematics and science, and girls may internalize these lowered expectations early in life.
Internal Barriers (Personality Factors, Personal Choices and Decisions)
Research with talented females has revealed personality factors, personal priorities, and decisions that lead many not to realize their potential. Factors include dilemmas about abilities and talents; personal choices about family; duty and caring versus nurturing one’s talents; religious and social issues; poor planning; hiding abilities; perfectionism; attributing success to luck rather than ability; poor choice of partners; and confusing messages about politeness.
Loss of Belief in Abilities and Self-Confidence
Some gifted girls lose enthusiasm for learning and courage to display abilities. Reviews and studies indicate some gifted females begin to lose self-confidence in elementary school and continue this loss through college and graduate school. These girls may doubt their intellectual competence, perceive themselves as less capable than they are, and believe boys rely on innate ability while they must work harder. Some avoid competition to preserve relationships, missing opportunities to use their skills.
Kline and Short found self-confidence and self-perceived abilities of gifted girls steadily decreased from elementary through high school. Interviews with middle school gifted females revealed they often avoid displays of outstanding intellectual ability and seek conformity with peers.
Social Problems and Isolation
Being identified as bright or talented may create social problems for females. Some gifted girls see being smart as a social disadvantage due to negative peer reactions and may understate abilities to avoid disapproval, physical unattractiveness concerns, or perceived lack of social competence. Parents may also convey restrictive messages about behavior, dress, and when to speak.
Perfectionism
Perfectionism can lead talented women to set unreasonable goals and pursue impossible standards across work, home, body, children, and other areas. Research describes a continuum from healthy to neurotic perfectionism. Healthy perfectionists derive pleasure from effort and accept mistakes as part of learning; unhealthy perfectionists fixate on mistakes, experience high anxiety, and work to please others because of perceived expectations and criticisms. Support, organization, and encouragement help healthy perfectionists, while concern over mistakes and parental expectations characterize unhealthy perfectionism.
References
Arnold, K. D. (1995). Lives of Promise. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers. Bell, L. A. (1989). Something’s wrong here and it’s not me: Challenging the dilemmas that block girls’ success. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 12(2), 118-130. Buescher, T. M., Olszewski, P., & Higham, S. J. (1987). Influences on strategies adolescents use to cope with their own recognized talents. Callahan, C. M., Cunningham, C. M., & Plucker, J. A. (1994). Foundations for the future: The socio-emotional development of gifted, adolescent women. Roeper Review, 17, 99-105. Cooley, D., Chauvin, J., & Karnes, F. (1984). Gifted females: A comparison of attitudes by male and female teachers. Roeper Review, 6, 164-167. Cramer, R. H. (1989). Attitudes of gifted boys and girls towards math: A qualitative study. Roeper Review, 11, 128-133. Dickens, M. N. (1990). Parental influences on the mathematics self-concept of high achieving adolescent girls. Eccles, J. S., Midgley, C., & Adler, T. F. (1984). Grade-related changes in the school environment: Effects on achievement motivation. Fennema, E., Peterson, P.L., Carpenter, T.P., & Lubinski, C.A. (1990). Teachers’ attributions and beliefs about girls, boys and mathematics. Hamachek, D. E. (1978). Psychodynamics of normal and neurotic perfectionism. Additional references cited in original article.
