THIS STUDY SOUGHT TO DISCOVER AND ANALYZE SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN MOTIVATIONAL PATTERNS AND THE EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT OF TALENTED STUDENTS. THE OBJECTIVES WERE TO DETERMINE--(1) THE DIFFERENCES IN MOTIVATION TOWARD ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT BETWEEN THOSE WHO ACHIEVE AND THOSE WHO DO NOT, (2) THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ACHIEVERS AND NONACHIEVERS IN RELATION TO THEIR SELF-CONCEPT, DEVELOPMENTAL HISTORY AND HOME BACKGROUND, SOCIAL ADJUSTMENT, PEER RELATIONSHIPS, AND PARENTS' SOCIAL STATUS, (3) THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ACHIEVEMENT AND NONACHIEVEMENT AMONG STUDENTS OF HIGH ABILITY AND THEIR CONTINUATION OF STUDY BEYOND HIGH SCHOOL, AND (4) THE DIFFERENCE, IF ANY, BETWEEN THE PATTERNS OF EDUCATIONAL MOTIVATION OF BOYS AND GIRLS. IT WAS FOUND THAT HIGH ACHIEVING STUDENTS TEND TO BE MORE HIGHLY MOTIVATED AS MEASURED BY THE INTERVIEW MEASURE OF MOTIVATION AND, IN THE CASE OF BOYS, BY MCCLELLAND'S TEST. VALUE ACHIEVEMENT WAS HIGHER AS MEASURED BY THE SEMANTIC-DIFFERENTIAL AND, ESPECIALLY IN THE CASE OF GIRLS, BY STRODTBECK'S AND DE CHARMS' INSTRUMENTS, AND MORE ADJUSTED AS MEASURED BY THE CALIFORNIA PSYCHOLOGICAL INVENTORY, WHO ARE THEY, AND BEHAVIOR DESCRIPTION CHART INSTRUMENTS. THE GIRLS WERE MORE ACTIVE IN EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES, HAD MORE LEADERSHIP, SAW FATHERS AS IMPORTANT IN THEIR LIVES, WERE MORE RESPONSIBLE AND INDEPENDENT, HAD SOMEWHAT HIGHER SOCIAL STATUS, HAD PARENTS WHO WERE BETTER EDUCATED AND HELD HIGH ASPIRATIONS FOR THEM, CAME FROM SMALL FAMILIES WHERE THEY WERE THE FIRST-BORN OR ONLY CHILD, AND HAD MOTHERS WHO PLACED A HIGH VALUE ON IMAGINATION. (JL)