Debunking myths about giftedness: development and psychometric validation of the myths about giftedness scale in the Turkish cultural context

Myths about gifted education persist widely among educators, families, and society, often leading to misconceptions that hinder the accurate identification and appropriate support of gifted individuals. Such myths may negatively affect educational policies and psychological well-being of gifted students. Despite the critical role these beliefs play, there is a scarcity of culturally valid instruments currently exists in Türkiye to systematically assess prevalent myths about giftedness. Addressing this gap, the present study aimed to develop and psychometrically validate a scale for measuring myths related to giftedness within the Turkish cultural context. This contributes not only to educational psychology but also to cross-cultural research on cognitive biases and social perceptions. The study was conducted in two phases. In Study 1, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was performed on data collected from 350 participants to explore the underlying factor structure of the scale. Study 2 involved confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) with 249 participants to verify the factor model identified in Study 1. The scale’s internal consistency and reliability were examined using Cronbach’s α, ordinal α, McDonald’s ω coefficients, and corrected item-total correlations. Ethical approval was obtained and informed consent was secured from all participants. EFA results supported a unidimensional factor structure comprising 25 items, accounting for a significant proportion of variance. CFA confirmed this structure with acceptable model fit indices (χ²/df = 2.622, CFI = 0.946, TLI = 0.941, GFI = 0.982, AGFI = 0.973, RMSEA = 0.081, 95% CI [0.074, 0.088], SRMR = 0.095). The scale demonstrated strong reliability (Cronbach’s α = 0.884; ordinal α = 0.920; McDonald’s ω coefficients ranging from 0.885 to 0.894). Item-total correlations ranged between 0.31 and 0.64, indicating good item discrimination. The Myths About Giftedness Scale is a psychometrically promising tool that can effectively identify prevalent misconceptions about giftedness among families, educators, and stakeholders. After examining the psychometric properties of the scale on a more homogeneous and random sample, its application can inform educational practices and policies, promote accurate identification of gifted individuals, and support psychological well-being. Moreover, the scale’s cultural adaptation enables meaningful cross-cultural comparisons and advances research on social cognition related to giftedness.