When Talent Becomes A Social Hindrance: A Study on the Psychosocial Skills of Artistically-Talented High School Students in Philippine High School for the Arts

Abstract

The study seeks to identify the psychosocial skills of the artistically-talented high school students. Specifically, the study aims to determine the relationship of the socio-demographic profile of respondents with their psychosocial skills, the effects of artistic talent to their qualify of social relation, self-concept and emotional intelligence, the significant differences in the psychosocial skills among students gifted in music, visual arts and dance and the relationship of the subscales of psychosocial skills. The inclusion criteria for the reference population are Filipino high school students, who are studying in the Philippine High School for the Arts, a special school for talented individuals. There is no preferred sexual orientation or gender. The study sample comprised of seventy-two (72) talented students, with twenty-four (24) students per domain of artistic talents namely, visual arts, music and dance. This study made use of a self-made behavioral checklist containing questions on psychosocial skills. The questionnaire also contained open-ended questions to further support the data obtained from the quantitative part. Three key informant interviews were done for the qualitative part wherein an interview guide was made to inquire about the subjects’ demographic data, basic information and behaviors that manifest exceptional skills. A Cronbach’s alpha of 0.650 was obtained for the internal consistency of the survey instrument signifying that the statements of the instrument measured a single construct. Results show that there are no significant differences in the psychosocial skills of artistically-talented adolescents in the fields of music, visual arts and dance. The psychosocial skills of the artistically-talented also has a relationship with gender, their field of talent, birth order, family status and being an officer of an organization. Upon analysis of the quantitative and qualitative data, this study found out that artistically-talented students have an average quality of social relations (Mean = 2.43, SD = 0.773) towards their significant others. They also have a high self-concept (Mean = 2.67, SD = 0.711). When it comes to their emotional intelligence, contrary to what has been stated in the literatures, they have an average interpersonal skills (Mean = 1.96, SD = 0.622) while their intrapersonal skills is high (Mean = 2.94, SD = 0.657). It is also found out that the subscales of psychosocial skills, are independent from one another and do not have linear relationship with one another.

The study seeks to identify the psychosocial skills of the artistically-talented high school students. Specifically, the study aims to determine the relationship of the socio-demographic profile of respondents with their psychosocial skills, the effects of artistic talent to their qualify of social relation, self-concept and emotional intelligence, the significant differences in the psychosocial skills among students gifted in music, visual arts and dance and the relationship of the subscales of psychosocial skills. The inclusion criteria for the reference population are Filipino high school students, who are studying in the Philippine High School for the Arts, a special school for talented individuals. There is no preferred sexual orientation or gender. The study sample comprised of seventy-two (72) talented students, with twenty-four (24) students per domain of artistic talents namely, visual arts, music and dance. This study made use of a self-made behavioral checklist containing questions on psychosocial skills. The questionnaire also contained open-ended questions to further support the data obtained from the quantitative part. Three key informant interviews were done for the qualitative part wherein an interview guide was made to inquire about the subjects’ demographic data, basic information and behaviors that manifest exceptional skills. A Cronbach’s alpha of 0.650 was obtained for the internal consistency of the survey instrument signifying that the statements of the instrument measured a single construct. Results show that there are no significant differences in the psychosocial skills of artistically-talented adolescents in the fields of music, visual arts and dance. The psychosocial skills of the artistically-talented also has a relationship with gender, their field of talent, birth order, family status and being an officer of an organization. Upon analysis of the quantitative and qualitative data, this study found out that artistically-talented students have an average quality of social relations (Mean = 2.43, SD = 0.773) towards their significant others. They also have a high self-concept (Mean = 2.67, SD = 0.711). When it comes to their emotional intelligence, contrary to what has been stated in the literatures, they have an average interpersonal skills (Mean = 1.96, SD = 0.622) while their intrapersonal skills is high (Mean = 2.94, SD = 0.657). It is also found out that the subscales of psychosocial skills, are independent from one another and do not have linear relationship with one another.