A Developmental, Person-Centered Approach to Exploring Multiple Motivational Pathways in Gifted Underachievement

TLDR

Underachieving gifted students differ from achieving peers in many characteristics, yet the developmental trajectory of underachievement across schooling is poorly understood. The study proposes that multiple developmental trajectories of underachievement arise from early school experiences, using a person-centered framework and motivational theory constructs, and suggests future research avenues. Two pathways—Maladaptive Competence Beliefs and Declining Value Beliefs—are proposed to explain how early school experiences lead to underachievement.

Abstract

Research on underachieving gifted students has uncovered a large number of characteristics differentiating gifted underachieving and achieving students. However, less is known about the way in which underachievement develops across schooling. Using a person-centered theoretical framework and key constructs from current motivational theories, we propose that there are multiple developmental trajectories in underachievement that arise from early school experiences. Two primary pathways are proposed: (a) a Maladaptive Competence Beliefs Pathway whereby underachievement results from the development of particular beliefs about giftedness and maladaptive coping behaviors, and (b) a Declining Value Beliefs Pathway in which underachievement develops from declining value beliefs and increasing perceptions of costs associated with academics. Avenues for future empirical research with these pathways are discussed.