AN EMPIRICAL-INVESTIGATION OF THE SOCIAL COPING STRATEGIES USED BY GIFTED ADOLESCENTS

The formation of an identity during adolescence is believed to be faci litated by conformity to others and membership in a peer group. Becaus e gifted adolescents in a typical school setting often experience diff iculties in conformity and peer group membership, they can be expected to face some unique challenges during adolescence. The current study seeks empirical evidence for discrete strategies that gifted adolescen ts may use to cope with perceived social difficulties. Highly gifted s tudents who were identified by the Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth and who participated in a rigorous summer academic program compl eted a survey that was specifically designed to reflect coping strateg ies proposed in the literature. The results of the survey were factor analyzed and yielded five meaningful factors: denial of giftedness, po pularity/conformity, peer acceptance, fear of failure, and activity le vel. The results of the factor analysis suggest that further research focusing on the measurement of social coping strategies among gifted a dolescents is warranted.