Perfectionism
Perfectionism is a characteristic that is largely associated with gifted children. In the understanding of their giftedness, these students often feel they must achieve perfection status on every task they undertake. This perfectionism can be seen at two different levels. Normal perfectionism can be a healthy attitude. This affords students the opportunity to do their very best on any assignment given to them. However, when taken to the extreme, neurotic perfectionism can occur. Neurotic perfectionism occurs when students feel they are never fully able to meet the expectations of others and therefore feel they have let others down (Schuler, 2000). This type of unhealthy perfectionism is also called self-oriented perfectionism (Clark, 2013). When gifted students set extremely high standards for themselves, they will often feel depression and anxiety when these standards are unmet (Clark, 2013). Clark believes unhealthy perfectionism can fall into three different categories (Clark, 2013). In addition to self-oriented, students can also have socially prescribed perfectionism or others-oriented perfectionism. According to Clark (2013), students can also set high standards for others, which results in other-oriented perfectionism. This occurs when the gifted students believes others should perform at the level they have set. In socially prescribed perfectionism, students feel that other hold extremely high standards for them and that they must perform t those levels in order to receive the approval of others (Clark, 2013). All unhealthy types of perfectionism must be addressed in order to help students feel they are successful in the accomplishments they make.
According to a survey taken of rural, gifted students, “87.5% were perfectionistic. Most (58%) were in the healthy range of perfectionism, while (29.5%) were in the neurotic range” (Schuler, 2000, p. 186). This type of attitude often is accompanied by fixations and fears of less than perfect status and creates unhealthy levels of anxiety for the students (Schuler, 2000). Perfectionism at this level can lead to feelings of low self-esteem and a feeling of never measuring up to the standards of others (Schuler, 2000). It is important that gifted students feel successful even when their work is sub-perfect.
According to a survey taken of rural, gifted students, “87.5% were perfectionistic. Most (58%) were in the healthy range of perfectionism, while (29.5%) were in the neurotic range” (Schuler, 2000, p. 186). This type of attitude often is accompanied by fixations and fears of less than perfect status and creates unhealthy levels of anxiety for the students (Schuler, 2000). Perfectionism at this level can lead to feelings of low self-esteem and a feeling of never measuring up to the standards of others (Schuler, 2000). It is important that gifted students feel successful even when their work is sub-perfect.