Gifted Girls

Issues Concerning Gifted Girls

Identifying Gifted Girls:

Gifted girls are an under-represented part of the gifted population.

They are under-represented due societal norms:

• be nurturing

• be docile
 • be sensitive

If girls act gifted they are perceived as pushy, aggressive, unpolite and unfeminine

Undertested due to teacher bias:

• girls receive far less reinforcement that boys.

• teachers are far more likely to ID a gifted boy than a gifted girl. (could be due to the "quietness"
of gifted girls)

Social and Emotional Issues faced by gifted girls in elementary and secondary school include:

• Personality factors

• Personal priorities

• Social Emotional issues

These issues are present throughout the lifespan of a woman and so it is difficult (if not impossible) to
discuss girls separately from women.

External Barriers: Parental Influences on Talented Females

"Memories of negative parental comments haunt gifted and talented women decades after they left
home...Parental opinions matter greatly to young girls...by subtle and not-so-subtle verbal and
nonverbal interactions may encourage [OR] discourage girls for life."

External Barriers: Teachers

"Teachers were usually able to identify gifted boys, but were often surprised to learn that a girl was
considered smart. The gifted girls...were very successful at hiding their intelligence and in silencing their
voices."

"...teachers like smart girls less than other students."

Internal Barriers: Personality Factors, Personal Choices and Decisions

Dilemmas Regarding

• Abilities and talents

• Personal choices about family

• Duty and caring and nurturing the talents for one's self vs. the needs of others first.

• Religious and social issues

• Perfectionism

• Attributing success to luck rather than ability

• Poor choice of partners

Internal Barriers: Loss of Belief in Abilities and Self-Confidence

"...some gifted females begin to lose self-confidence in elementary school and continue this loss through
college and graduate schools..."

"...girls try to avoid competition in order to preserve relationships, even if that means that they don't
take the opportunity to use their skills."

Internal Barriers: Social Problems and Isolation

"gifted girls believe it is a social disadvantage to be smart because of the negative reaction of peers."
Characteristics

Gifted Girls display a range of characteristics and behaviors.

• She may read voraciously and retain what she reads

• She may posses superior analytical and conceptual abilities

• She may express unusual, out of the ordinary points of view

• She may demonstrate special abilities in the visual or performing arts.

However:

• They are often conflicted between displaying their knowledge and being socially accepted. So
she may hide her abilities - or she may not even know her abilities.

• She perceives that society disapproves of enthusiasm in girls and, in an effort to be socially
accepted, may make poor decisions to be popular.

• She may be reluctant to express that she knows anything beyond what's asked of her.

The Horner Effect

Fear of success. Girl purposely hold back because of a need to please others (rather than compete with
them). This is more intense with gifted girls than with average girls.

The Imposter Phenomenon

Girls feel pressured to explain away their success since it is contrary to social expectations and their own
self-image. Success is due to luck or because they were not evaluated properly.
Things to Help

• Increase the range of activities

• Less competition in class

• Female gifted mentors

• strong gifted peer group