Perfectionism and Gifted Students
What is Perfectionism? Perfectionism is a common social-emotional concern of gifted students. Perfectionism occurs when students have very high expectations of themselves (and sometimes of others). Perfectionism can be healthy or positive (striving to do your best within your capabilities). Perfectionism can also be maladaptive, or unhealthy . This is when perfectionism prohibits students from achieving their potential or recognising their own competence. How does perfectionism affect gifted students? Gifted students may become dependent on praise for their self worth. They may feel depressed or frustrated when their efforts are not ‘perfect’ by their standards. They might put others down to make themselves feel better. They may deliberately underachieve or resist encouragement to accept challenging tasks - when tasks are more challenging, it is harder to achieve perfection. They may be unwilling to take risks, both academically and socially (such as asking a new pe...