Understanding strategy development in gifted and nongifted children: A cross-sectional study

The present study, a cross-sectional design involving 7 to 10 year olds, analyzed similarities and differences between gifted and nongifted children in spontaneous strategy acquisition through the concept of utilization deficiency (Miller, 1990). Children were classified into four strategic categories: utilizationally deficient, strategic and nonstrategic non-utilizationally deficient, and a new category termed quasi-utilizationally deficient. Strategy development between gifted and nongifted children was compared through a series of sort/recall trials. The targeted strategy was an organizational one which begins to be manifested in middle schoolage children. Additionally, the experiment examined the possible influences of metacognition, IQ, and motivation (e.g., self-attributions and self-efficacy) on the occurrence and outcome of strategy use in these two populations. The use of the strategic classifications proved successful in delineating both differences and similarities between the two groups.