Study reveals links between parental traits and distinct cognitive skills in gifted children

The study involved 65 gifted children between the ages of 6 and 14, who had an IQ of at least 120.

From providing support and guidance to shaping emotional and social development, the role of parental intelligence in a child's life is immense. A recent study, published in the Journal of Intelligence, has now shed light on how different facets of parents’ education, intelligence, and personality may influence the cognitive abilities of gifted children in well-defined ways. The new research studied the ramifications of parental education, personality traits (based on the Five-Factor Model), and cognitive abilities (based on CHC theory) on the cognitive capabilities of gifted children.

Researchers focused on four crucial cognitive indices in children- processing speed, perceptual reasoning, working memory, and verbal comprehension.(Representative image/Unsplash)

The researchers emphasised four crucial cognitive indices in children: processing speed, perceptual reasoning, working memory, and verbal comprehension.

The researchers further claimed that various studies suggested that parental education predicts children’s intelligence. On the other hand, fewer studies simultaneously surveyed the role of parental intelligence, education and personality in shaping their children’s giftedness.

Intelligence study: Sample size

The study saw the involvement of 65 gifted children between the ages of 6 and 14 and each with a full-scale IQ score of at least 120. Giftedness was determined using the WISC-IV. Meanwhile, the parents (65 mothers, M = 44.00 years; SD = 4.20 years, and 61 fathers, M = 45.70 years; SD = 5.40 years) completed the WAIS-IV and the Big-Five Inventory, as per the study.

Results

The results pointed out that maternal education was a key predictor of children’s Verbal Comprehension Index (VCI) when it came to bivariate analyses. However, its effect was not robust in multivariate models. The study revealed that Perceptual Reasoning Index (PRI) in children was associated with maternal conscientiousness. There were also connections between fathers’ short-term memory (Gsm) and working memory index of children.

The study also claimed that maternal processing speed (Gs) was the strongest predictor when it came to the Processing Speed Index (PSI) of kids across the multivariate and bivariate analyses. The findings also talked about various domain-specific influences of parental traits on children’s giftedness.

The pattern could be the result of differences in parenting roles, genetic inheritance, and time spent with children, although the study did not directly test those hypotheses.

The research provides a more detailed picture of how parental traits may contribute to the intellectual strengths of gifted children. However, more detailed studies with larger sample sizes may be needed to corroborate the data obtained.

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.