Identifying high ability students: a contribution from neuropsychological indicators

Authors

  • Dora Cortat Simonetti Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo – Vila Velha, Espírito Santo
  • Leandro S. Almeida Universidade do Minho – Braga
  • Zenita Guenther Universidade Federal de Lavras – Lavras, Minas Gerais

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5902/1984686X1633

Keywords:

High Ability, Psychometrics, Neuropsychology, Encephalograms.

Abstract

This paper presents some data on the convergence between psychometric intelligence measurements (IQ tests) and physiological signs of mental activity found in high ability adolescents. The research study focus on a small group of 15 subjects submitted to electric encephalograms, previously chosen from a larger group of 77 classmates on the basis of scores on the WISC-III IQ Test. The results suggest continuous predominance of Alpha waves for the gifted group (higher frequency percentile and higher amplitude) what was not observed in the group without any superior intellectual ability. Even taking into account methodological limitations, this study may contribute to the understanding of a relationship between the intellectual quotient (IQ) and alpha waves frequency and amplitude, as observed during performance on cognitive tasks. Such results may suggest a possibility to complement psychometric measures with encephalic registers in giftedness research studies.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Downloads

Issue

Revista Educação Especial, v. 23, n. 36, jan./abr. 2010

Section

Continuous Demand

License

Declaration of originality

We declare that all articles present in the journal Revista Educação Especial (UFSM) are originals and were not submitted for publishing on any other publication, as a whole or a fraction.  We also declare that, after being published by Revista Educação Especial (UFSM), a paper will not be submitted to another journal within two years. After this time, our journal transfers the publishing rights to the authors, with a permit granted by the Editorial Council.

We also acknowledge that the originals’ submission to Revista Educação Especial (UFSM) implies on a transference of copyright for physical and digital publishing to the journal. In case of noncompliance, the violator will receive sanctions and penalties predicted by the Brazilian Copyright Protection Law (n. 9610, dated 19/02/98).