Physical activity and self-concept in gifted students: A comparison with non-gifted students

ABSTRACT Physical activity plays an important role in individuals’ physical and psychological health. However, there is scarce evidence on how physical activity is associated with socioemotional aspects in gifted students. This is of special importance since previous research showed that gifted students scored significantly lower on physical self-concept when compared with their non-gifted peers. This study aimed to measure the associations between physical activity and different dimensions of academic, physical, and global self-concept in a sample of 10- to 18-year-old Spanish gifted students. It also investigated differences with non-gifted students on physical activity, self-concept, and their associations. The study involved measuring the physical activity levels of 219 gifted and 242 non-gifted students through PAQ-A, following a cross-sectional design. It relied on SDQ-II and CAF to measure academic, physical, and global self-concepts and included the importance accorded to self-concepts. Results showed that gifted students scored higher on academic self-concept and lower on self-perceived athletic ability. Physical activity was associated with better physical and global self-concepts, with no differences between gifted and non-gifted participants. No interactions between giftedness and physical activity appeared. Both samples’ self-concept may benefit from physical activity equally. Strategies for promoting physical activity should be endorsed also in gifted students.