Motivational characteristics of students in gifted classes: The pivotal role of need for cognition

• We compared motivational constructs as predictors for attending a gifted class.
• We controlled for intelligence, achievement, sex, and parental level of education.
• NFC was the most important predictor of the attendance of gifted classes.
• Our results recommend including NFC in counseling practice for gifted children.
• NFC should be explored as an indicator of the need for special academic fostering.

We contrasted different motivational variables related to learning and achievement in order to identify which types of academic motivation predict students' attendance of a special class for the gifted (full-time ability grouping). We drew on a sample of 5th grade students in special classes for gifted and compared them to students in regular classes (N = 921; 31% in gifted classes) while controlling for confounding factors — that is, students' cognitive ability, academic achievement, sex, and parental level of education. Logistic regression analysis revealed that need for cognition (NFC) best predicted attendance of special classes for the gifted as compared to academic self-concepts, academic interests, or mastery and performance goals. Thus, it might be useful to explore NFC as an indicator for students' need for advancement options. In addition, our findings might stimulate the discussion on whether students high in NFC would benefit from being included in gifted programs.