Coping Strategies Suggested by Adolescents

(In Order by Weighted Ranking;
0 = Least Acceptable to Students; 10 = Most Acceptable):

(0) Pretend not to know as much as you do.

(1) Act like a “brain” so peers leave you alone.

(2) Adjust language and behavior to disguise true abilities from your peers.

(3) Avoid programs designed for gifted/talented students.

(4) Be more active in community groups where age is no object.

(5) Develop/excel in talent areas outside school setting.

(6) Achieve in areas at school outside academics.

(7) Build more relationships with adults.

(8) Select programs and classes designed for gifted/talented students.

(9) Make friends with other students with exceptional talents. 

(10) Accept and use abilities to help peers do better in classes.

The strategies were influenced by such factors as age, sex, and participation in programs for gifted students. For example, over the course of 4 years (ages 11 to 15), “using one's talent to help others” moved from second place to first, by way of third. “Achieving in school in areas outside academics” appeared to rise in popularity until the age of 14, but then dropped to third place. Students participating in special programs for the gifted were less likely, as they grew older, to mask their true abilities. Other studies have indicated that gifted females appear to be somewhat vulnerable to the pull of cultural expectations that drive them toward seeking peer acceptance rather than leadership and the full development of their abilities (Olszewski-Kubilius & Kulieke, 1989).