A COMPARISON OF DABROWSKI'S CONCEPT OF OVEREXCITABILITIES WITH MEASURES OF CREATIVITY AND SCHOOL ACHIEVEMENT IN SIXTH GRADE STUDENTS

Abstract

This was an investigation of 12 gifted and 12 randomly selected sixth grade students to determine relationships between levels of Overexcitability and scores on the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking and the California Achievement Test. Responses to the Overexcitability Questionnaire were compared to Torrance Test of Creative Thinking Verbal and Figural subtests via a Pearson r correlation and a Mann-Whitney test of significance. The Mann-Whitney was used to compare Overexcitability Questionnaire scores of high and low scoring subjects on the California Achievement Test Reading, Grammar, and Mathematics subtests; on gifted and random students; and on boys and girls in the two samples. Results of the Pearson r revealed no significant correlation between level of Overexcitability and Torrance Test of Creative Thinking subtests. Significant differences were found between high and low scorers on the creativity test and Imaginational and Psychomotor Overexcitabilities. Significant differences were also found between Intellectual Overexcitability scores of high and low Grammar and Reading California Achievement Test scores; and Intellectual, Imaginational, and Emotional Overexcitability scores and the Mathematics California Achievement Test subtest. Implications drawn from the results include the multidimensional nature of giftedness and the importance of meeting emotional needs of the gifted and talented.