Prevalence of misconceptions, dogmas, and popular views about giftedness and intelligence: a case from Turkey

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of misconceptions, dogmas and popular views about giftedness and intelligence among Turkish lay people. A survey questionnaire consisting of 12 forced-choice items about global misconceptions, dogmatic beliefs and popular views related to giftedness and intelligence was used to collect data. Participants included 812 people (41.6% male; 58.4% female). Descriptive analyses yielded that a significant number of the participants expressed agreements with the statements related to misconceptions, dogmatic and popular beliefs. Nonparametric correlational analyses showed both educational status and age to be associated either negatively or positively with most of the statements. Findings imply that misconceptions, dogmas, and popular views about giftedness and intelligence are quite prevalent among Turkish lay people.