Analysis of Giftedness in Mexican American Children and Design of a Prototype Identification Instrument.

Cultural community based definitions of giftedness were obtained in survey interviews with 300 Mexican Americans in three Texas cities and incorporated into a behavior rating scale and an adjectival scale (for parents) to identify the gifted and talented among 108 bilingual Mexican American children in kindergarten-grade 3. The children were nominated by teachers and administered the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children; the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking, Verbal and Figural Form A; and the De Avila Cartoon Conservation Scales. Fifty-four children were rated on the behavior and adjectival scales by parents. Thirty-four children were judged gifted according to results on at least one of the five tests. Parentally rated scales were available for 22 of the 34 gifted students. Some of the results from interviews revealed that Mexican Americans believe giftedness requires verve and style as well as intelligence; and that the gifted display traits such as using imagination freely, being more active and aware, and associating more with adults. Multivariate discriminate analysis of the 43-item behavioral rating scale indicated significant differentiation between the gifted and nongifted groups. Individual items on the behavior rating and adjectival scales also discriminated between the two groups. (Included are original and revised versions of the behavior rating scale and the adjectival scales, a summary of techniques for identifying gifted minority children, and the community survey in English and Spanish.) (MC)