Human Potential Seminars: An Approach to Turning on the Gifted Underachiever.

It is contended that a person becomes an underachiever because of: (1) personality or psychological problems; (2) poor school preparation; (3) working toward underachievement as an assertion of independence; (4) inadequate self concept; and (5) poor impulse control. The bulk of the paper is devoted to describing the bases and procedures of two group approaches which the author uses with underachievers. One of these, the Human Potential Seminar, is specifically designed for those persons who are not using their potentiality but would like to be. The process is described. The other approach, termed Success Groups, focuses on those students who underachieve in order to demonstrate independence or retain dependence on their parents. These "committed" underachievers must be interrupted in their efforts. Contracts are made with the group and written commitments to specific grade point achievement goals are demanded. While academic achievement is the overall goal (success rate = 72%), results also indicate markedly improved self concepts. (TL)