Describes a study at the Willings Learning Clinic that analyzed the responses of 39 male students, 66 female students, 44 adult males, and 51 adult females to literature. Five styles of responding to literature are discussed: the analyzer, the picture maker, the reflector, the elaborator, and the internalizer. (CR)

The article examines reasons why some teachers and parents may feel threatened by gifted children and why some exceptional pupils deliberately under-achieve. Discussion of the meaning of Creativity in terms of defensive, productive, adaptive, elaborative and developmental thinkers is followed by suggestions drawn from followup studies of…

Cases of four creative young persons who attempted suicide are summarized, the high incidence of suicide among 15- to 24-year-olds is noted, and possible reasons are suggested. The role of the gifted movement in helping develop career strategies and strategies for creative growth is considered. (CL)

Qualities of the creative mind are documented, including the ability to: let ideas come rather than chase after them, get in touch with the absurd, keep goals in sight, take ideas to the next stage, and have dialogue with intuitions. Inhibitors of creative growth include bottom-line thinking, cynicism, labeling, and outcome anxiety. (JDD)

The paper reviews research on the creative process and the conditions necessary for the liberation of creative ideas. Suggests that each creative individual needs an essentially personal environment, stimulus, and working conditions in order to be able to function creatively. (Author/CL)

The article identifies five modes of thinking--defensive, productive, adaptive, elaborative, and developmental. Case studies of artistic, creative writing illustrate the modes. A writing program designed to identify and develop these thinking modes is described. (Author/DB)

This article considers the destructive effects of cynicism on creativity in gifted and talented students. It describes the use of a fictional character who responds to everything positive with an excessively cynical remark, to demonstrate to students the value of a more positive attitude. (DB)

This article describes common causes of burnout, the stages of burnout, and ways of preventing burnout. The article emphasizes the "paralyzed perfectionism" of highly able adults and children who initially were dedicated to reaching high-level goals and suggests keeping a daily Strategies Diary in which personal rewards and stresses are recorded…

A double procedure for meetings is proposed: one dealing with general administrative matters and the other with "free association of ideas" to solve problems. Examples of problem solving by mentors of gifted underachievers illustrate the approach. (DB)

A program of intervention called therapeutic tutoring to help underachievers is described. Intervention centers around students' loci of control, through a process of identifying areas in which students feel empowered and relating academic experiences to these areas. Academic exercises based on Monopoly, cricket, rugby, soap operas, field hockey,…

This article recounts the case of a gifted French adolescent girl whose life, characterized by family problems and lack of support, resulted in her tragic suicide at the age of 17. (DB)