The Cognitive Profiles of Gifted Children: a Latent Profile Analysis Using the Asis

Abstract

Intelligence scales are widely employed in the assessment of gifted students. The Anadolu-Sak Intelligence Scale [ASIS], an intelligence evaluation tool originating from Turkey, is extensively used for identifying gifted students. This study aimed to investigate the cognitive profiles of gifted children using the ASIS. Participants were selected from students who underwent intelligence testing at the Gifted Education Research and Practice Center [GERPC]. The study focused on data from 360 students with a GIQ score of 130 or higher. To determine the cognitive profiles of gifted students, a statistical technique called latent profile analysis [LPA] was employed using the tidyLPA package in R. The results revealed two distinct gifted profiles: verbal gifted (38%) and nonverbal gifted (62%). Children with a verbal gifted profile excelled in tasks involving verbal reasoning, analogies, and linguistic abilities. Conversely, children with a non-verbal gifted profile demonstrated exceptional abilities in tasks requiring visual flexibility and sequential processing. Both groups exhibited superior cognitive abilities across various domains compared to the average group mean. These findings challenge the notion of a single, general intelligence profile and underscore the importance of considering multiple domains and psychometric categories when identifying and supporting gifted individuals. © 2023, Duzce University, Faculty of Education. All rights reserved.