Environmental, Familial, and Personal Factors That Affect The Self-Actualization of Highly Gifted

235 Pages·2017·1.5 MB·English

Environmental, Familial, and Personal Factors That Affect
The Self-Actualization of Highly Gifted Adults: Case Studies

A THESIS
SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL
OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
BY

Deborah Lou Ruf

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS
FOR THE DEGREE OF
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
Geoffrey Maruyama, Advisor
1998

©1998 by Deborah L. Ruf
Deborah L. Ruf, Ph.D. ©1998 Highly Gifted Adult Study

Copyright Deborah Lou Ruf 1998
Deborah L. Ruf, Ph.D. ©1998 Highly Gifted Adult Study
iii
Acknowledgments
I thank my family. I thank my parents, Dort and Lou Ruf, for encouraging me through
this very long project. I thank my former husband, John Korsmo, for encouraging me and
supplying much of the money I needed to continue such a big, time-consuming project. I thank
my children, Ted, Charlie, and Joe Korsmo, for spending the majority of their growing up years
with a mother who was studying life in the hopes of making theirs a little better. All of them are
among the most talented, creative, and intelligent people I could possibly have the pleasure and
privilege of knowing. My children were, of course, my inspiration.
I feel a special gratitude to my subjects. Although only 41 are in the final paper, I got to
know about 50 more people quite well through their questionnaires. They did a lot of work and
shared so much of themselves. I sincerely hope none of them are disappointed with the final
product. This has truly been a privilege. Thank you.
A number of people took an interest in my work and became invaluable as readers,
suggestion makers, and encouragers. Among the most important are certainly Betsy Alleman and
Dave Bohn. I was also greatly encouraged and assisted by Ray Voet, Jim DeClerq, Jo Meador,
Pam Newsome Prochniak, and Karen Rogers.
I am especially grateful to my Committee for its feedback, encouragement, and
willingness to meet with me over widely spaced intervals. My advisor, Geoff Maruyama, was
ever-sane, ever-calm, and just what I needed to help me finish and be proud of my work. My
biggest hope is that the presentation conveys as accurately and fully all that I discovered from my
wonderful group of subjects. I know I am a different person than when I began this work.

Updated Formatting 2008, minor edits, single-spacing to make access to the data more
easily accessible by PDF and postal mailing. ~Deborah L. Ruf, Ph.D.
Deborah L. Ruf, Ph.D. ©1998 Highly Gifted Adult Study
iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgments........................................................... iii
List of Tables............................................................... vi
List of Figures. .............................................................. viii
List of Charts. ................................................................ix
Chapter I: INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW .....................................1
Theoretical Framework................................................ 2
Statement of the Problem…………………………………………………… 2
Specific Objectives……………………………………………………….. 2
Theoretical Rationale……………………………………………………… 3
Significance......................................................... 3
Format……………………………………………………………………………… 3
Chapter II: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ...................................... 4
High Giftedness.... .... ........ ...... ...... ........ ...... ...... ..... 4
Background…………………………………………………… ……………. 4
Terman....................................................... 7
Hollingworth...................................................10
Gross........................................................ .12
Others on gifted. ................................................ 13
Selected Biographies of Highly Gifted. .............................. 13
Talent Development......................................................16
Catherine Cox, Terman series ...........................................16
Goertzel and Goertzel................................................17
Benjamin Bloom .....................................................18
Human Development......................................................19
Cognitive Developmental Theorists:
Erikson, Maslow............................................19
Emotional Development Theorists:
Dabrowski, Piechowski. .........................................23
Moral Development Theorists:
Kohlberg, Rest, Gilligan .........................................27
Generational Cohort Effect:
Strauss and Howe ..............................................29
Summary...............................................................31
Chapter III: METHODOLOGY.......................................................34
Research Design and Methodology. ..............................................34
Data Collection and Subject Selection.......................................... 36
Description of Subjects ......................................................45
Data Analysis: Primary Sorting Categories and Terminology ............................ 48
Childhood Abuse …………..…………………………………………………….48
Deborah L. Ruf, Ph.D. ©1998 Highly Gifted Adult Study
Tone …………..…………………………………………………………...48
Searcher …………..……………………………………………………….49
Positive Disintegration…………..………………………………….. …....50
Nonsearcher……………………………………………………………….50
Neutral…………………………………………………………………….50
Self-Actualization…………………………………………………………50

Limitations............................................................. 52

Chapter IV: LEVELS OF EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN HIGHLY GIFTED ADULTS...54
Introduction……………………………………………………………………………54
Dabrowski Level I
Self-Interest, Self-Preservation…………………………………………………54
Dabrowski Level II
Stereotypical Roles…………………………………………………………….59
Dabrowski Level II/III
Personality Transformation…………………………………………………… 68
Dabrowski Level III…………………………………………………………………... 73
Dabrowski Level III/IV……………………………………………………………….. 77
Self-Actualization……………………………………………………………. 77
Dabrowski Level IV………………………………………………………………….. 81
Dabrowski Level IV/V……………………………………………………………… 85
Attainment of Personality Ideal……………………………………………… 85
Summary Comments………………………………………………………………… 90

Chapter V: SIGNIFICANT ISSUES IN THE HIGHLY GIFTED………………………………91
Introduction……………………………………………………………………………91
Abuse and Intellectual Level………………………………………………………… 91
Abuse and DIT scores………………………………………………………………. 92
Study Group DIT Scores by Gender and Educational Level…………………………… 93
Tone Scores: Who Finds Happiness and Contentment? ……………………………… 94
Religiosity……………………………………………………………………………. 95
Suicide Ideation……………………………………………………………………….100
Marriage, Sexual Preference, Family Composition, and Sexual Abuse…………………100
Summary of Abuse Issues……………………………………………………………. 102

Chapter VI: PERCEPTIONS OF SELF BASED ON FEEDBACK FROM OTHERS…………104
Introduction…………………………………………………………………………...104
It’s Not Ok to Be Smarter……………………………………………………………. 106
Feeling Different………………………………………………………………………107
Tried to Fit In………………………………………………………………………….108
Not Enough Information……………………………………………………………….109
Issues With Authority…………………………………………………………………. 110
Directly Negative Feedback…………………………………………………………… 111
The Pressure to Be Too Good………………………………………………………… 113
“I didn’t get the best grades”………………………………………………………….. 115
Study Habits…………………………………………………………………………. 118
Who Is Valuable to the School? ……………………………………………………… 120
Conclusions……………………………………………………………………… 120
Deborah L. Ruf, Ph.D. ©1998 Highly Gifted Adult Study
Chapter VII: CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS……………………………………….. 121
Background………………………………………………………………………… 121
Conclusions and Discussion
School and Community Environment………………………………………………… 121
Family Environment ………………………………………………………………… 122
Career Success………………………………………………………………………. 123
Who Becomes Self-Actualized………………………………………………………. 123
Self-Actualization and the DIT………………………………………………………. 123
Personal Factors……………………………………………………………………… 123
Why Inner Growth Matters: A Discussion……………………………………………. 125
Limitations…………………………………………………………………………… 125
Implications and Recommendations for Future Research……………………………… 126

References……………………………………………………………………………………. 127
APPENDIX
A: The Case Studies of 41 Highly Gifted Adults . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .. . . . .. . . .. . . . . 128
Deborah L. Ruf, Ph.D. ©1998 Highly Gifted Adult Study

vi

LIST OF TABLES
TABLES PAGE
1 Maslow' s Characteristics of Self-Actualizers...........................21
2 Highly Gifted Study DIT Summary.........................................28
3 Norms for Selected Groups on the DYT-P Score........ 28
4 Inventory I: Screening for Subjects............................. 36
5 Inventory II: Background Information (Childhood Inventory) 37
6 Inventory III: Adult Experiences of Subjects............... 40
7 Highly Gifted Subjects' Career Areas.............................. 46
8 Highly Gifted Subjects' Career Participation.................... 46
9 Shannon's Description of Abuse..................................... 48
10 Tone Score Scale Description........................................ 49
11 Highly Gifted Subjects and Factors Related to Emotional
Growth......................................................................53
12 Dabrowski Level I Subjects..........................................……..55
13 Dabrowski Level II Subjects.......................................…..…..60
14 Dabrowski Level II/III Subjects..................................………69
15 Dabrowski Level III Subjects...................................................73
16 Dabrowski Level ID/TV Subjects........................................... 78
17 Dabrowski Level IV Subjects...................................................81
18 Dabrowski Level IV/V Subjects............................................…85
19 DIT Scores for Abused and Nonabused Subjects by Gender. ..93
20 DIT and Educational Attainment.................................... 94
21 Tone Scores by Emotional (Dabrowski) Levels....................... 94
22 Abuse/Nonabuse and Adult Tone........................................... 95
23 Subjects by Religiosity............................................................. 95
24 Religiosity by Nonabuse/Abuse...............................................96
25 Religiosity and Dabrowski Level.............................................96
26 Highly Gifted Subjects Sorted By Dabrowski Level,
Searcher Status, and Abuse ..................................... 98
27 Highly Gifted Subjects, Dabrowski Levels,
Sexual Abuse, and Other Personal Factors ........... 99
Deborah L. Ruf, Ph.D. ©1998 Highly Gifted Adult Study

vii
28 Suicide Ideation Between Abused
and Nonabused Subjects ..............................................................100
29 Suicide Ideation and Dabrowski Levels..........................................100
30 Highly Gifted Group Marital Status.................................................101
31 Abused/Nonabused Marital Status...................................................101
Deborah L. Ruf, Ph.D. ©1998 Highly Gifted Adult Study

viii
LIST OF FIGURES
FIGURES PAGE
1 Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs ...................................................... 21
2 Abused/NonabusedSubjects: Proportion at Each IQ Level......…… 91
3 Abused/Nonabused Subjects and DIT Score ................................... 92
4 DIT Score Spread by Gender........................................................... 93
ix
LIST OF CHARTS
CHARTS PAGE
1 Erikson' s Eight Stages of Psychosocial Development...................... 20
2 Moral and Emotional Development Schemes...................................25
3 Summary of Highly Gifted Subjects by Age, Sex, IQ,
Education, and Career............................................................47