An investigation of personality characteristics, internalizing symptoms, and locus of control orientation of gifted adolescents participating in a summer residential program for gifted youth

The current investigation examined variables associated with social and emotional adjustment (i.e. internalizing symptoms, locus of control orientation, and personality characteristics) in a sample of gifted youth participating in a summer academic residential program. The focal point of the study was to determine if gifted adolescents differ from their non-gifted peers in self-reports of internalizing symptoms. Secondly, the study examined gender differences among the gifted sample and possible relations between locus of control, personality characteristics, and self-reports of internalizing symptoms. Subjects completed the Internalizing Symptoms Scale for Adolescents (ISSA), the Nowicki-Strickland Locus of Control Scale, and the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). To address the questions of between-group differences in self-report measures, a sample of gifted adolescents (n = 120) was carefully matched and contrasted with a sample of non-identified peers (n = 108). Gifted adolescents reported significantly fewer internalizing symptoms than the comparison group, suggesting that gifted adolescents are better than or as adjusted as their non-gifted counterparts.; Gifted males and females did not differ in locus of control orientation and self-reports of internalizing symptoms. Both groups appear to have an internal locus of control orientation. Regarding internalizing symptoms, gifted females, on average, reported more symptoms than gifted males but that difference was not statistically significant. In contrast, gender differences were encountered in two of the MBTI scales, Sensing-Intuition (SN) and Thinking-Feeling (TF). Gifted males preferred intuition and thinking, whereas gifted females preferred feeling and sensing. However, as a group, gifted adolescents preferred intuition, suggesting that this personality characteristic is very common among gifted and talented youth. Correlation analyses indicated a relation between self-reports of internalizing symptoms and locus of control. A relation between the Extrovert-Introvert (EI) scale of the MBTI was also found between locus of control and ISSA total scores. These results suggested that willingness to disclose internalizing symptoms might be related to locus of control orientation and personality characteristics. Results are discussed in terms of previous research in the area. Suggestions for future research and implications for practitioners are offered.