Tanja Baudson

Gifted and Maladjusted? Implicit Attitudes and Automatic Associations Related to Gifted Children

The disharmony hypothesis (DH) states that high intelligence comes at a cost to the gifted, resulting in adjustment problems. We investigated whether there is a gifted stereotype that falls in line with the DH and affects attitudes toward gifted students. Preservice teachers (N = 182) worked on single-target association tests and affective priming tasks. High intelligence was more strongly associated with gifted than with average-ability students. Adjustment problems were more strongly associated with gifted than with average-ability students for males only. Attitudes toward gifted students were neutral when no component of the DH was activated but were negative toward gifted males when adjustment difficulties were activated. Implicit associations and attitudes were in line with the DH—but only for male students.

Profile formation of academic self-concept in elementary school students in grades 1 to 4

Academic self-concept (ASC) is comprised of individual perceptions of one’s own academic ability. In a cross-sectional quasi-representative sample of 3,779 German elementary school children in grades 1 to 4, we investigated (a) the structure of ASC, (b) ASC profile formation, an aspect of differentiation that is reflected in lower correlations between domain-specific ASCs with increasing grade level, (c) the impact of (internal) dimensional comparisons of one’s own ability in different school subjects for profile formation of ASC, and (d) the role played by differences in school grades between subjects for these dimensional comparisons. The nested Marsh/Shavelson model, with general ASC at the apex and math, writing, and reading ASC as specific factors nested under general ASC fitted the data at all grade levels. A first-order factor model with math, writing, reading, and general ASCs as correlated factors provided a good fit, too. ASC profile formation became apparent during the first two to three years of school. Dimensional comparisons across subjects contributed to ASC profile formation. School grades enhanced these comparisons, especially when achievement profiles were uneven. In part, findings depended on the assumed structural model of ASCs. Implications for further research are discussed with special regard to factors influencing and moderating dimensional comparisons.

Measurement Invariance in a Grid-Based Measure of Academic Self-Concept

Grid-based measures, where item stems are rated across diverse domains or subjects, represent an economic measure to assess multifaceted constructs such as academic self-concept. Although testing for measurement invariance between groups (e.g., based on gender or age) and within subjects over time (e.g., in longitudinal research) is common practice, research on invariance across domains is still lacking. We examine measurement invariance across selected self-concept domains in the Differentiated School Self-Concept (DISC) Grid as an example of grid-based self-concept measures. Using a highly diverse student sample, we assessed invariance of the DISC grid across three academic domains (German, English, and mathematics). Based on adequate model fit within each domain, the DISC grid proved to be strictly invariant across the three subject-specific self-concepts (German, English, and mathematics). Implications for theory (e.g., Möller and Marsh’s Dimensional Comparison Theory), empirical research (e.g., on the Internal/External Frame of Reference model), assessment (e.g., regarding other measures using similarly worded items across domains, such as the Self-Description Questionnaires [SDQ]), and practice (e.g., academic counseling) are discussed.

Taking Language out of the Equation: The Assessment of Basic Math Competence Without Language

While numerical skills are fundamental in modern societies, some estimated 5–7% of children suffer from mathematical learning difficulties (MLD) that need to be assessed early to ensure successful remediation. Universally employable diagnostic tools are yet lacking, as current test batteries for basic mathematics assessment are based on verbal instructions. However, prior research has shown that performance in mathematics assessment is often dependent on the testees proficiency in the language of instruction which might lead to unfair bias in test scores. Furthermore, language-dependent assessment tools produce results that are not easily comparable across countries. Here we present results of a study that aims to develop tasks allowing to test for basic math competence without relying on verbal instructions or task content. We implemented video and animation-based task instructions on touchscreen devices that require no verbal explanation. We administered these experimental tasks to two samples of children attending the first grade of primary school. One group completed the tasks with verbal instructions while another group received video instructions showing a person successfully completing the task. We assessed task comprehension and usability aspects both directly and indirectly. Our results suggest that the non-verbal instructions were generally well understood as the absence of explicit verbal instructions did not influence task performance. Thus we found that it is possible to assess basic math competence without verbal instructions. It also appeared that in some cases a single word in a verbal instruction can lead to the failure of a task that is successfully completed with non-verbal instruction. However, special care must be taken during task design because on rare occasions non-verbal video instructions fail to convey task instructions as clearly as spoken language and thus the latter do not provide a panacea to non-verbal assessment. Nevertheless, our findings provide an encouraging proof of concept for the further development of non-verbal assessment tools for basic math competence.

Intelligence and Creativity

Which teachers would not love to have smart children bubbling with ideas in their classes? And, more generally: who would not like to be intelligent and creative? Both characteristics are considered highly desirable attributes and thus worthwhile goals in our culture.

Synästhesie, Metapher und Kreativität.

Als union of the senses, als Einheit der Sinne, bezeichnen sowohl Lawrence E. Marks (1978) als auch Richard E. Cytowic (1989) in ihren gleichnamigen Buchern die Synasthesie; und in der Tat weist bereits das griechische Etymon des Wortes auf diese Bedeutung hin. Syn, „zusammen“, und aisthesis, „Wahrnehmung“, sind die beiden Komponenten eines Phanomens, das sich durch die unwillkurliche Kopplung zweier getrennter Sinnesmodalitaten auszeichnet, wobei in der Regel die Wahrnehmung eines Reizes in der einen eine zusatzliche Wahrnehmung in der anderen, nicht stimulierten Modalitat auslost (vgl. u. a. Cytowic, 1989; Hubbard & Ramachandran, 2005; Hubbard, 2007; Ward, 2003). Diese Kopplung kann grundsatzlich zwischen allen Modalitaten auftreten; sie ist bereits in fruher Kindheit, moglicherweise von Geburt an, vorhanden, ist stabil uber die Lebensspanne und wird von den Betroffenen als normale Form der Wahrnehmung erlebt – etwa so, wie ein Nicht-Synasthetiker Farben wahrnimmt (die etwa ein Farbenblinder nicht erkennen kann). Oft berichten Synasthetiker von groser Uberraschung in dem Moment, als sie feststellten, dass ihre Art der Wahrnehmung etwas Ungewohnliches und Besonderes ist.