MMPI PROFILES O F GIFTED ADOLESCENTS

WALLACE A. KENNEDY
Florida State University
PROBLEM
The literature('. 2 , on gifted adolescents contains many descriptions of their
personality. There is, however, a paucity of data collected on the personality pro-
files of the highly productive group of gifted adolescents and no large-scale MMPI
sampling. Profile data are desirable both to describe groups to have and a base line
from which to compare the individual gifted child who presents a diagnostic problem
relevant to his own emotional stability. Even though this group represents only a
very small segment of the total adolescent population, they are certainly a highly
significant minority.
PROCEDURE
For three years the author has administered the MMPI to the group of math-
ematically gifted adolescents who attend the summer math institute a t Florida
State University. This institute, sponsored by the National Science Foundation and
under the direction of Dr. Eugene Nichols, brings together each summer about
thirty high achievers in mathematics from high schools in most of the 50 states. The
students who were on campus for six weeks of intensive and extensive exposure to
higher mathematics were administered a battery of psychological tests by the staff
of the Human Development Clinic.
These math students with a mean chronological age of 17.4 and showing no
clinically evident psychopathology are exceptional on two counts : (a) their high
intellectual ability (Wechsler I& mean of 134.9 and standard deviation of 7.7); and
(b) their high productivity, both from the point of view of a superior general schol-
astic record, and special mathematical achievement. They are able a t the eleventh
grade level in high school to perform second and third-year college mathematics.
We have now accumulated 100 MMPI profiles from this sample during the
three years that we have studied the group. There were 79 males and 21 females in
the group and there were no validity T scores above 70.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Table 1 presents the mean and standard deviation for the scale scores of each
of the sub-scales of the MMPI. Both males and females are slightly high on the HY
scale and the males are high on the MF scale. All other mean profiles were below a
scale score of 60. Table 2 contains the intercorrelations between the scales which are
TABLE1. MMPI SUB-SCALE
MEANSAND SD's FOR MALEAND FEMALE
GIFTEDADOLESCENTS
Males Females
Scale Mean SD Mean SD
55 6.5 55 6.2
F 55 6.3 53 3.1
K 54 9.9 57 7.7
Hs 52 8.9 49 7.4
D 58 12.4 44 7.9
HY 66 9.1 60 9.1
_P -D 56 10.1 52 8.0
MF 64 9.1 51
_- - .1_
9
PA 56 8.9 56 9.1
PT 58 10.4 53 7.1
sc 59 10.4 55 6.9
MA 54 10.2 53 11.4
SI 53 10.3 52 10.0
WAlS IQ: Verbal 139.6 8.1 133.4 8.4
Performance 125.9 11.13 125.5 8.9
Total 135.7 7.8 131.9 6.4
 MMPI PROFILES OF GIFTED ADOLESCENTS 149

significant a t the .01level of significance. It is particularly interesting t o note the

correlation between the PTand Sc scales and the other scales. (The correlations be-
tween the MMPI sub-scales and the WAIS sub-scales were not significant.)
2. CORRELATIONS
TABLE Aaro~aTHE MMPI SUB-SCALES C ~.01 LEVELFOR 79 M m s
S I Q N I F I AT
(ABOVETED DIAGONAL),^ 21 FEMALE^ (BEMWTEE DIAQONAL)
Scales L F K Ha D Hy Pd Mf Pa Pt Sc Ma Si
L .37 .27
F - .38 .47 .33 .57 .34
K .53 .48 .56 .32 - .47
HE .48 .30 .74 .38 .36
D .48 .42 .53 -52 -.37 .57
.78
3
Mf .70
.58
.55
.27
.38 .31
.34
.35
.32
.46
.33
.36 .38
.42
Pa .61 .57 .44 .27
Pt .43 .78
sc .49 .74 -52 .67
Ma
Si .55 .63 .56 - .50
- .n
SUMMARY
These data indicate that the profile of the gifted adolescent is within normal
limits and that when one finds a superior person whose score deviates from the
normal it is a clue to factors other than his high intelligence.

REFERENCES
1. KENNEDY, W. A., NELSON,W., LINDNER,R., TURNER, J. and MOON,
H. Psychologicalmeasure-
ments of future scientists. Psychological Reports, 1960,7,515-517.
2. KENNEDY! WALLACE A. and the Human Development Clinic Staff. A multi-dimensional study
of mathematically gifted adolescents. ChiZd Deuelpm., 1960 31,655-666.
3. KENNDDY, W. A.,NELSONW., LINDNER,R., MOON, If.,and TURNER,
Jack. The ceiling of the
new Stanford-Binet. J . clin. bsychol.,1960,17,284-286.

MMPI IN EPILEPTIC GROUPS WITH DIFFERENTIAL ETIOLOGY”

HALLGRIM KLtpVE AND DONALD Q. DOEHRINQ
Indiana University Medical Center

PROBLEM
Evidence for an “epileptic personality” has been critically reviewed by Hunt (1)
and Strauss(4). According to one point of view discussed by these writers, the per-
sonality characteristics of epileptics are constitutionally determined in the same
manner as their supposed constitutional predisposition t o convulsive disorders. An
alternative explanation makes no hypothesis concerning constitutional factors, but
postulates an epileptic personality in terms of certain personality traits frequently
observed in epileptic patients. Neither explanation is accepted by Hunt and Straws.
Both writers report that personality disturbances are rare among noninstitutionaliz-
ed epileptics. They conclude that observed instances of personality disturbances in
epileptics may be the result of brain damage associated with the epileptic disorder,
+This study waa supported by Grant B-2416 from the National Institutes of Health, Division of
Neurological Diseases and Blindness. The writers wish to thank Mrs.Jane Sanders for her assistance
in this study.