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Presents a revised theory of what eminence is, its relation to productivity, its measurement, and the markers for it. The Bronte family is used for illustration. Concludes that persons who are truly eminent (who create original and significant work) and persons who are simply high achievers, tend to come from different families entirely and that gifted children do not substantially change the existing family system. (DB)

Partial correlation procedures were used to compare the reliability of ideational creativity in 225 academically gifted and nongifted fifth to eighth grade children. The divergent thinking interitem and intertest correlations of the gifted children were significantly larger than the nongifted. Ideational originality was reliable only in the nonverbal tests. (Author/GDC)

Two groups of boys and their parents were given five divergent thinking tests as one part of a longitudinal investigation on exceptional giftedness in early adolescence. Canonical and bivariate analyses indicated that there was a strong correlation between the adolescents' divergent thinking test scores and their parents' scores. (Author/LMO)

Results of divergent thinking tests (administered to 228 intermediate school students, of whom about 43 percent were gifted) and calculated correlations between creativity and intelligence measures did not support the threshold theory which posits that creativity and intelligence are related only up to an intelligence quotient of about 120. (Author/CB)

A 16-item questionnaire concerning independence and 3 divergent thinking tests were administered to 3 groups of preadolescent boys (N=91) and their mothers as part of an ongoing longitudinal study of exceptional giftedness. Results indicate significant correlation of mothers' and boys' independence scores with divergent thinking test scores. (TJH)

Several commentaries on Howard Gruber's paper, "The Evolving Systems Approach to Creative Work," are offered: "How High Should One Climb to Find Common Ground?" (Robert Albert); "Where is the Evolving Milieu?" (Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi); "Creativity: The Individual, The Systems, The Approach" (Todd Lubart and Robert Sternberg); and "Quality and Purpose, Quantity and Chance" (Dean Simonton). (JDD)

A 16-item questionnaire concerning independence and three divergent thinking tests were administered to three groups of preadolescent boys and their mothers as part of an ongoing longitudinal investigation of exceptional giftedness. The subjects included one group of exceptionally gifted boys with IQs in excess of 150 (n = 28), a second group of exceptionally gifted boys selected for their math-science abilities (also well within the 99th percentile; n = 26), and a control group of gifted boys (n = 37), with a mean IQ of 133). The three groups were compared with one another in terms of (a) their own independence ratings, (b) their mothers' independence ratings, (c) correlations of boys' and mothers' independence ratings, and (d) correlations of independence ratings with IQ and scores from the divergent thinking tests. Results indicated significant differences among the three groups of mothers, and significant differences between the two exceptionally gifted groups and the control group. In addition, mothers' and subjects' independence scores were moderately correlated with IQ and divergent thinking test scores. These results are discussed and placed in the context of the longitudinal project of which they are a part.

The article presents a study, which aims to investigate interparental agreement on Rimland's Diagnostic Check List, Form E-1, for a relatively pathology-free, homogeneous sample of preschoolers. Secondly, data from such a sample could provide useful normative information if the published Check List is used for clinical or research purposes. The Rimland Diagnostic Check List (Form E-I) was administered to 31 parental couples of normal children, ages 35 years. Each parent answered the Check List independently. Interparental agreement for autism scores and for schizophrenia scores correlated .72 and .69 respectively.

Two hypotheses were tested concerning the influence of combinations of conformity and general reasoning ability in responses to a message on biological warfare. The message was neutral in its presentation without any conclusions of its own, offering only information that biological warfare is possibly not a "superweapon." A before-after design was used. Results confirm part of the two hypotheses. Subjects with a combination of low conformity-high reasoning ability drew more correct than incorrect conclusions, had the largest, fact-supported ("valid") opinion change, and retained the most information immediately after the message. Three other groups deduced more incorrect than correct conclusions, had more modest (and less fact supported) opinion change, and retained less information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the results of a survey of the opinions of literary, film, drama, radio-television, ballet and fine-arts critics on some issues involved in their role definition and enactment. A questionnaire of one open-end and 14 multiple-choice questions, pre-tested on mass media critics within the Boston area, was mailed to 90 leading critics in the above areas. Because of the small population from which to draw a sample, no attempt was made at random selection of critics. There were no statistically significant differences among critics in the various fields regarding their perceived influence in forming public opinion. All agreed that the present-day critic is predominately moderately influential in forming public opinion concerning artistic mass communications. This datum is interesting when compared with the critics' responses to the question of their influencing an artist's prestige. Here most agree that they can influence an artist's prestige. Critics Believe they are moderately effective in influencing public opinion concerning artistic mass communications.

Within the present paper, we have attempted to clarify the role of social structural variables in shaping friendships. Our interest in the friendship relationship has stemmed from the conviction that it constitutes a role relationship in which healthier behavior may be observed. In addition we feel that the study of such a relationship might lead to better understanding of the manner in which personality and social structural variables interact. Social structure has been broadly conceived as the framework which defines and delineates the range of friendships available to an individual. The variable of social status and role are viewed as being particularly important in structuring communication and interaction patterns of participants within a social setting, and in predisposing certain relationships more than others to move beyond the formally prescribed level of interaction. The fact that role prescriptions within a given social structure may force certain participants to become involved in interlocking interactions is viewed as having a two-fold significance. On one hand, it allows each participant to explore the desirability of becoming involved in a less formally prescribed interaction with his co-participant. On the other hand, if one or both participants do not wish to become involved in a less formal personality-centered type of interaction, the fact that the relationship has been formed and continues to be based upon social structure allows for the maintenance of a less affectively personally involved relationship without its disintegration. We have suggested that as the nature of the friendship relationship is explored more fully, it becomes clear that it must be viewed as a special type of role relationship--an integrative one in the sense that the multiple roles of each participant are brought together, shared and organized. In this connection, we hypothesize that the more central are the roles that each partner can share with the other in their friendship relationship, the greater the amount of closeness possible and the more satisfaction they experience in their mutual friendship interaction. `Within the present paper, we have spoken as if there were no individual differences in response to social structure. The fact that this isn't the case presents numerous opportunities for further exploration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a theoretical analysis of the role of the critic in mass communications. The type of communications discussed in this article is mass communication, as it is participated in by a specialized, and supposedly, highly influential group of persons in the U.S. culture. Everything about their professional communicative behavior is specialized: The content, their and others' perception of this occupation, their own interests and background materials, and their ability to influence other people's behavior. The artistic aspect of the critic's role is discussed more fully from two general points of view, which for lack of conventional labels we may call the traditional or supplementary, and the sociological. From the supplementary point of view the critic is looked upon more as a secondary art phenomenon; specifically, as an adjunct of the much broader field of literature, etc., and as less important than the artist and his art. The critic's value is also secondary to that of the material with which he deals. Sociologically, the critic is much like other facets of mass communication. The immediate explicit content of his work is often secondary--more important is the long-term evaluative role that he performs.

By way of summary let us draw together the various variables that we have discussed above in a form that would allow future derivation of experimental hypotheses. Panic-behavior is a function of a highly stressful situation characterized by the presence of a sudden threat to the individual (or group) which occurs within a short span of time. This threat if unchecked or not solved immediately will have irrevocable, long-term consequences upon the ensuing behavior of the participants. Therefore, the behavior that occurs soonest after the perception of threat is of the nature of problem-solving and the maintenance of the status quo against loss of either a physical or social-psychological nature. This problem-solving behavior is complicated by the perception of alternative solutions, their ambiguous con- sequences, and is hindered by unintelligibility within the communication process. This last condition becomes increasingly important as the interdependency of all the participants increases, or participants become more isolated from the main body of persons involved within the threatening situation. Implicit in the discussion are certain implied characteristics of the behavior per se. Panic-behavior itself will be characterized by a high state of anxiety and erratic and sometimes random behavior. That is, behavior that is not based upon a consistent and coordinated plan of action. Panic behavior is further characterized by the taking of risks (especially towards the later portions of the situation); and a high rate of irrelevant communication directed towards persons other than those nearby in spatial proximity and immediately involved, regardless of these persons' particular bearing on the individual's position; e.g., elliptical statements, swearing, cries, holophrastic sentences, and other verbalizations that do not convey any clear-cut referent-meaning to the auditors (as distinguished from the expression of emotions). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]