Document Type

Report

Department/Program

Education

Pub Date

5-30-2024

Abstract

This report describes the findings of a study requested by the Mensa Foundation and conducted in a partnership between the Foundation and researchers at the William & Mary Center for Gifted Education. The purpose of the research is to identify the unique challenges and needs of gifted individuals and provide better support and resources.

To address the research questions, the study collected information from American Mensa members and other highly intelligent individuals around the world through an online questionnaire. Interviews were conducted with Mensa members. The final dataset included 3,443 participants. These were diverse in terms of age, gender, geographic region, occupation, and disability status. The large majority of participants (87%) were White or European. Ten Mensa members representing five age groups participated in the interviews.

In the academic domain at both the K-12 and college levels, the highest level of need was for mentors in participants’ areas of interest. Lessons in academic skill development, such as time management and study skills, were the next highest rated unmet need. An adequate education, offering choice in pacing and subjects at an appropriate level of challenge was the next greatest area of academic need.

In the career development domain, participants reported most needing access to information about careers and lessons in career planning. They also need support and positive social connections with others in the workplace. The highest levels of need in the social and emotional domain were in the areas of social and emotional learning (e.g., lessons in self-regulation, goal setting, etc.) and opportunity for interaction. The greatest need areas in mental health as young, middle-aged, and over 55 were for a trusted other who could help them with mental health concerns and effective strategies for dealing with failure, upset, anxiety, and frustration.

Open-ended comments allowed for rich expressions of participants’ needs in the four domains. Not all participants reported having high levels of need. Based on their responses, they could be classified as having Low (1/4 of the sample), Moderate (1/2 of the sample), or High (1/4 of the sample) levels of need.

Recommendations for possible Mensa Foundation actions to address these unmet needs are in six areas:

  • Improve Societal Attitudes toward High Intelligence
  • Support Academic Skill Development
  • Support Academic and Career Planning
  • Provide Financial Supports for Academic and Career Opportunities
  • Foster Social Connectedness
  • Provide Mental Health Supports

DOI

https://doi.org/10.25774/dmkw-fd65

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