A STUDY WAS CONDUCTED OF NINE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION SUMMER SCIENCE PROGRAMS FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS DURING THE SUMMER OF 1961. THE TYPES OF SUMMER PROGRAMS STUDIED WERE THE ACADEMIC TYPE AND THE RESEARCH-PARTICIPATION TYPE. IN THE ACADEMIC-TYPE PROGRAMS, THE STUDENTS RECEIVED AN ADVANCED TREATMENT OF SUBJECT MATTER AND LABORATORY EXERCISES, GENERALLY IN THE BIOLOGICAL OR PHYSICAL SCIENCES. IN THE RESEARCH-PARTICIPATION TYPE THE STUDENTS WORKED ON RESEARCH PROBLEMS OF THEIR OWN CHOICE OR THEY JOINED ONGOING PROJECTS AS JUNIOR MEMBERS OF A PROFESSIONAL RESEARCH TEAM. THROUGH EVALUATION AND USE OF THE GRADE POINT AVERAGE AND INTELLIGENCE QUOTIENT, APTITUDE TESTS, SATISFACTORY ACHIEVEMENT SCALE, BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION SURVEY, SELF DESCRIPTION, NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP CORPORATION FORM, AND NUMEROUS SINGLE CORRELATIONS AND POTENTIAL COMBINATIONS, CERTAIN CONCLUSIONS WERE MADE. THE RESULTS SHOWED THAT CHILDREN WITH OUTSTANDING RESEARCH ABILITY CAN BE KNOWN FOR OBSERVATION AND SCORING AT AN EARLY AGE. ALSO THERE WAS POSITIVE SUPPORT FOR THE IMPORTANT IDEA THAT DIFFERENT PSYCHOLOGICAL PROCESSES AND TRAITS ARE NEEDED IN LEARNING EXISTING KNOWLEDGE IN A TYPICAL SCHOOL-LIKE SITUATION THAN ARE REQUIRED IN A RESEARCH PARTICIPATION SITUATION, WHERE THE CENTRAL TASK IS TO PRODUCE NEW KNOWLEDGE.