Psychological characteristics of academically gifted students in a residential setting: A cluster analysis

Students in one entering class at a Midwestern residential school for gifte d and talented adolescents (N = 156) took three instruments: the Self-Descr iption Questionnaire III (SDQIII; Marsh, 1988), the Minnesota Multiphasic P ersonality Inventory for Adolescents (MMPI-A; Butcher, Williams, Graham, Ar cher, Tellegen, Ben-Porath, & Kaemmer, 1992), and the Self-Perception Profi le for Adolescents (SPPA; Harter, 1988) in order to determine the psycholog ical makeup of academically gifted students who are admitted to and leave h ome to attend a residential school. Scores from the SDQIII were cluster ana lyzed using Ward's hierarchical method. Clusters were validated using data from the MMPI-A and the SPPA. Results indicated six different cluster group s that were described as follows: a mathematics focus (21%); a social focus (18%); a nonathletic group (21%); a low overall self-concept group (16%); a verbal group (9%); and a nonspiritual/religious group (14%). Characterist ics of the clusters and implications for residential schools are discussed. (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.