Method considerations for school psychology from longitudinal research on gifted students

Abstract

This article draws from longitudinal research on gifted students to provide method considerations for school psychology research. First, we provide some background of gifted and talented education in the United States. Then, drawing from multiple longitudinal samples of gifted students, in particular the Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth (SMPY), we illustrate the role of replications, including constructive replications. In the middle two sections, we highlight methodological design features focused first on predictors, and then on outcomes, considering types, magnitude, and breadth. Finally, we provide additional considerations and future directions, including expanding the outcome domain, overcoming the limitations of past gifted and talented research studies, and suggesting possibilities for future research. Our article may help improve school psychology research as well as assist school psychology researchers interested in conducting their own longitudinal studies using gifted samples.