Dr. Furkan Atmaca Becomes First Turkish Researcher to Win Mensa Research Excellence Award
Dr. Furkan Atmaca, a research assistant in the Department of Special Education, specializing in the Education of the Gifted, has been honored with the Mensa Foundation's Award for Excellence in Research. This prestigious award recognizes groundbreaking research in the fields of intelligence and giftedness. Dr. Atmaca has made history by becoming the first Turkish researcher to receive this award, which is given annually to leading scholars in the education of gifted individuals.
Dr. Atmaca earned this award for his study employing a three-level Bayesian meta-analysis technique to examine the cognitive profiles of twice-exceptional individuals (those who are both gifted and have learning disabilities or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). The research highlighted the high risk of misdiagnosis when relying solely on a single IQ score for these individuals. The study emphasized the importance of accurate diagnosis to ensure that twice-exceptional individuals receive the services they need. Additionally, it introduced the concept of "cognitive masking," which suggests that inconsistent performance across various cognitive domains can lead to misunderstandings about overall cognitive abilities.
The paper, titled "The two sides of cognitive masking: A three-level Bayesian meta-analysis on twice-exceptionality," co-authored by Dr. Furkan Atmaca and Prof. Dr. Mustafa Baloğlu from Hacettepe University's Department of Gifted Education, was published in 2022 in Gifted Child Quarterly (SSCI, Q1). Click the link below to access the related study: