A key role for experimental task performance: effects of math talent, gender and performance on the neural correlates of mental rotation

The neurophysiological mechanisms underlying superior cognitive performance are a research area of high interest. The majority of studies on the brain-performance relationship assessed the effects of capability-related group factors (e.g. talent, gender) on task-related brain activations while only few studies examined the effect of the inherent experimental task performance factor. In this functional MRI study, we combined both approaches and simultaneously assessed the effects of three relatively independent factors on the neurofunctional correlates of mental rotation in same-aged adolescents: math talent (gifted/controls: 17/17), gender (male/female: 16/18) and experimental task performance (median split on accuracy; high/low: 17/17). Better experimental task performance of mathematically gifted vs. control subjects and male vs. female subjects validated the selected paradigm. Activation of the inferior parietal lobule (IPL) was identified as a common effect of mathematical giftedness, gender and experimental task performance. However, multiple linear regression analyses (stepwise) indicated experimental task performance as the only predictor of parietal activations. In conclusion, increased activation of the IPL represents a positive neural correlate of mental rotation performance, irrespective of but consistent with the obtained neurocognitive and behavioral effects of math talent and gender. As experimental performance may strongly affect task-related activations this factor needs to be considered in capability-related group comparison studies on the brain-performance relationship.     

Global Perspectives on Disability and Mission

This article starts by exploring what disability is and why we should not be limited by only one definition. It then reflects on challenges and possibilities of historical review as it relates to disability by key church figures. In looking at the theology of disability in the modern era, the article argues that in order to move from the margins, we need to embrace a practical theology of embodiment that goes beyond inclusion to belonging. Scholars on disability and theology are therefore called upon to embrace a practical theology of disability through incorporating people with disabilities at the centre of developing a theology.     

Teacher identified giftedness qualities in a Ghanaian school setting: A brief report

This study explored the nature and indicators of giftedness in school children from the perspective of Ghanaian school teachers (n?=?30, females?=?40%; age range?=?24 to 60years). The teachers responded to semi-structured interviews. Results from thematic analysis of the data revealed that teachers perceive giftedness to be domain-specific and mostly identified by teachers during instruction of the learners. The teachers were of the view that parents/guardians of the learners are less helpful in the identification of giftedness in their children, as compared to teachers. The findings have some implications for giftedness research in Ghana and beyond.     

Memory abilities in generally gifted and excelling-in-mathematics adolescents

This paper presents part of a multidimensional examination of mathematical giftedness. The present study examined the memory mechanisms associated with general giftedness (G) and excellence in mathematics (E) in four groups of 10th–12th grade students (16–18 years old) varying in levels of G and E. The participants first underwent the Raven test for general ability evaluation and SAT-M — the mathematical excellence tests in order to design the study groups. Afterwards, the students were tested on a battery of three memory tests including tests for short-term (STM) and working memory (WM). The results reveal that the G factor is related to high STM for both phonological loop and phonological central executive mechanisms. It was also found that the E factor is associated with high visual–spatial memory (VSM), in particular with the visual central executive mechanism. An interaction effect was found between G and E factors regarding WM. The central executive mechanism appeared to be related to both G and E factors. In addition, gender differences were shown within the groups. Male participants performed better than their female counterparts on a phonological storage task and a phonological central executive mechanism task. The results can contribute to the theoretical knowledge regarding similarities and differences in memory mechanisms in G and E groups.     

Conceptualizations of Giftedness and the Development of Talent: Implications for Counselors

The authors present a historical perspective on giftedness, highlighting the impact of key research studies on practice, research, and policy. A comprehensive model is presented emphasizing that giftedness is domain specific and developmental and involves the cultivation of psychosocial as well as cognitive skills. Implications for counselors are discussed, specifically which psychosocial issues and skills should be the focus of counseling at each stage of talent development and what counselors can do to support the development of gifted students.     

Knowing how to look predicts the ability to draw realistically

Some young children are able to create stunningly realistic drawings resembling those of adult artists. What perceptual abilities underlie this talent? This study examined two candidate skills on which adult artists excel: the ability to segment a complex form mentally (measured by the Block Design Task) and the ability to see hidden forms (measured by the Group Embedded Figures Test). Sixty‐seven 6‐ to 13‐year‐olds with a wide range of drawing abilities completed these tasks as well as an IQ test and an observational drawing task. While children who scored high on drawing realism outperformed those who scored low in drawing realism on both perceptual tasks, only detection of embedded figures predicted drawing realism. This occurred independently of age, gender, years of training, and verbal and non‐verbal IQ. There are certainly many contributors to this complex ability, but one component appears to be the tendency to see things more as they really are and thereby recognize the continuous contour of an object despite interference from other overlapping objects.