Effects of labeling students as ?gifted? according to gifted students perceptions

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of labeling students as ?gifted? on their perceptions of themselves and of their parents? and friends? attitudes towards themselves. Labeling theory is a social theory which states that labeling causes certain changes in people?s behaviors and in the attitudes of their social environment towards themselves. The literature analyses show that labeling can have both positive and negative effects. However, definite conclusions should not be drawn from the studies for several reasons.This study was conducted with 415 sixth-grade students who applied to the Educational Programs for Talented Students (EPTS), a university-based after-school program for talented students at Anadolu University, Eskisehir, Turkey. Of the population 26 were identified as gifted by the identification system of the EPTS. A scale titled as ?Scale for Gifted Labeling Effects (SGLE)? was developed to measure possible efftecs of labeling students as ?gifted.? The instrument included 24 items, of which 12 were positive and the rest 12 were negative perceptions. Eight of the items were related to students? perceptions towards themselves, 8 were related to their perceptions towards their friends? attitudes, and the rest 8 were concerned with their perceptions towards their parents? attitudes. The instrument was administered to all applicants when they applied to the EPTS. The identified 26 gifted students took the same scale again as posttest after attending the EPTS for eight weeks. Indepent samples t-test, Paired sample t-test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test were used to analyse data.Total test and subscale comparisions showed that labeling students as ?gifted? did not have any significant effect on their perceptions about themselves nor did it have any effect on their perceptions about their parents? and friends? attitudes towards themselves. However, pretest-posttest comparisons by item showed increases in the following perceptions: ?I feel lonely among my friends?, ?My parents often compare me to other children? and ?My friends tease me for my weaknesses.? In addition, results showed that gifted students had higher negative perceptions about their friends? attitudes towards themselves compared to those who were not identified as ?gifted.?Keywords: Gifted, Gifted label effects, Perception.