Prediction of Self-actualization Based on Personality Traits and Self-Awareness among Gifted Students

Background: Gifted individuals have exclusive personality traits and need various experiences to achieve more information about themselves and their ability into developmental process from giftedness to talent. Also, they can increase mental experiences and obtain greater self- actualization with recognition of the level of challenges, values and their personality traits. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between personality traits, self-awareness and self-actualization dimensions. Methods: This descriptive study was conducted in Shiraz city among 239 gifted students from high schools during 2013. The Big Five Personality Questionnaire (BFPQ), Self-Consciousness Scale (SCS) and Measure of Actualization of Potential (MAP) were used to gather the data. Validity and reliability of these tools were acceptable. Data were analyzed by regression test using SPSS v19 statistic software. Results: The finding showed that agreeableness (r=0.34) and conscientiousness (r=0.41) factors (from five factors of personality) had a positive relationship and neuroticism (r=-0.21) had a correlation with self-actualization negatively. Moreover, the privative self-awareness (r=0.41) and public self-awareness (r=0.15) showed a positive correlation and social anxiety revealed a significant negative relationship (r=-0.27) with general selfactualization. On the other hand, privative self-awareness and agreeableness predicted that 23% of the scores belong to openness to experience dimension (self–actualization) positively. In addition, conscientiousness and privative self-awareness predicted self-reference dimension positively, and neuroticism predicted it negatively. These variables determine 40% of the scores of self reference dimension. Also, conscientiousness, agreeableness and privative self-awareness predicted that 36% of the scores belong to general self-actualization. Conclusion: Based on our study results, conscientiousness and agreeableness factors (personality traits) had a significant relationship with self-actualization and predicted the scores of self-actualization. It was noted that privative self-awareness (selfawareness dimension) had a significantly positive correlation with self-actualization and predicted its scores.