Acquisition of Formal Operations by Intellectually Gifted Children

Abstract

Intellectually gifted children are typically defined in terms of superior performance on traditional norm-referenced intelligence tests- that is, they develop more rapidly in that characteristic known as &dquo;intelligence&dquo; as it is defined by these tests. The question could be raised as to whether these children also progress through Piagetian stages of cognitive development more rapidly than their chronologi-cal age (CA) peers, perhaps at a rate predicted by the mental age (MA) calculated from their intelligence test scores (e.g., the 8-year-old with a mental age of 12 should show formal operational abilities since 12 is the age often cited as the beginning of formal operations.) Regardless of the rate at which gifted children progress through Piagetian stages, research indicates that gifted, average, and retarded children all follow the same pattern in terms of stage progression (Roeper, 1978; Weisz & Zigler, 1979). The sequence of their development through the stages appears to be the same regardless of intellectual ability. Weisz & Zigler refer to this as the similar sequence hypothesis. However, the data regarding the timing of gifted chil-dren’s progression through the stages are not as clear. Some studies have indicated significant differences between gifted children and their normal-ability age-mates (e.g.,

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