Perfectionism in the Gifted Child

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Perfectionism in the Gifted Child

• Mary K. Chance
• EDU 436
• Dr. Holder
• 6/16/08

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What is Perfectionism?

• Webster defines it as
• 1. the quality or state of being perfect as
   freedom from fault or defect
• 2.  the quality or state of being saintly
• 3.  an exemplification of supreme excellence
• 4.  an unsurpassable degree of accuracy

http//www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perfecti
on
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WOW Thats a pretty heavy definition to live up
to isnt it?
And thats where the problem begins. People
actually try to be perfect!
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The sources examined seem to agree that most
perfectionists fall into two categories or
somewhere in betweenHealthy Perfectionism
andUn-Healthy perfectionism!
Healthy
Un -Healthy
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Level with us How much of a perfectionist are
you?
Healthy perfectionism leads one to strive for
excellence.
Unhealthy perfectionism takes over ones life and
leaves no room for error.
For example, a healthy perfectionist would be
content to be a tiny fraction of a bubble off!
An unhealthy perfectionist must have that bubble
perfectly centered.
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Healthy Perfectionism

• Healthy perfectionism is a positive
  characteristic that drives high effort and
  accomplishment.
• Healthy perfectionists derive strong pleasure
  from their concentrated effort.
• Healthy perfectionists can adjust their work
  level as the situation requires
• Healthy perfectionism can also be referred to as
  the pursuit of excellence.

Sources Davis, page 434 Adderholdt, p. 6
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Unhealthy Perfectionism

• Unhealthy perfectionists strain compulsively
  toward impossible goals.
• Unhealthy perfectionists set unrealistic
  standards for themselves.
• Unhealthy perfectionists see mistakes as evidence
  of their own unworthiness
• Unhealthy perfectionists live in a constant state
  of anxiety about making mistakes.

Sources RIAGE, page 1 Adderholdt, p. 4
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Healthy Perfectionism Unhealthy Perfectionism
Doing the research necessary for a term paper, working hard on it, turning it in on time and feeling good about what you learned Doing three drafts, staying up two nights in a row, and handing your paper in late because you just had to have it perfect
Studying for a test, taking it with confidence and feeling good about getting a 96 Cramming right up to the last minute, taking the test with sweaty palms, and feeling badly about your 96 because your friend got a 98.
Being willing to try new things, take risks, and learn from your experiences and your mistakes Avoiding new experiences because you are terrified of making mistakes especially in public
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In a nutshell

• Healthy perfectionists know
• their limits and strive for excellence.
• They use their talents to the fullest extent of
  their capabilities.
• They realize they do not have to be perfect to be
  successful and loved.

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Unhealthy perfectionism

• Unhealthy Perfectionism is also referred to as
  neurotic perfectionism for a good reason.
• The word NEUROTIC comes from the word neurosis
  which means a mental and emotional disorder
  that affects only part of the personality, is
  accompanied by a less distorted perception of
  reality than in a psychosis, does not result in
  disturbance of the use of language, and is
  accompanied by various physical, physiological,
  and mental disturbances (as visceral symptoms,
  anxieties, or phobias)
• (SOUNDS CREEPY, DOESNT IT)

http//www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/neurosis
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Neurotic perfectionists rarely considers himself
a success.
Source Adderholdt, p. 23
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Seriously

• Neurotic Perfectionists often
• Make themselves sick trying to maintain high
  grades
• Have sweaty palms and an accelerated heart rate
  before a test
• Compulsively compare grades with those of other
  good students
• Work alone because no one else is as good as they
  are
• Are resentful of editorial changes in their work
• Avoid new experiences that pose a threat a
  failure.
• Are overly precise
• May resort to cheating to get the highest grades.

Source Davis, p. 435
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Negative Consequences of Neurotic Perfectionism

• Low self-esteem Im never good enough
• Guilt I could have handled that better
• Pessimism Ill never be a success
• Depression Ill never succeed?
• Suicidal tendencies Why go on?
• Obsessiveness It isnt perfect yet, I cant
  stop
• Lack of motivation It will never be perfect so
  why try?
• Immobilization It is better to do nothing
  than it is to fail!

Source http//www.coping.org/growth/perfect.htm
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Things unhealthy perfectionists say

• My family expects me to win, I cant let them
  down
• If I dont do that, everyone will be so
  disappointed.
• No, its still 1/32 of an inch off!
• I cant believe I got one question wrong maybe
  the teacher is wrong!
• It would have been perfect if I could have done
  it myself.

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In a nutshell

• Unhealthy perfectionism is
• dangerous and can lead to
• serious mental and physical problems including
  immobilization, withdrawal eating disorders,
  self-harm,
• Unhealthy Perfectionists often need help to give
  themselves permission to fail.

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Perfectionism and the Gifted Student

• It is estimates that half the population of the
  U.S. has perfectionist tendencies.
• For gifted students, and proportion is closer to
  85
• Teachers and parents of gifted students need to
  be aware of this characteristic and how to help
  our children cope with it.

Source Davis, p. 435
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What can Parents do?

• Recognize the positive and negative traits of
  perfectionism.
• Model acceptance of your own mistakes, and let
  your child know you are not perfect.
• Help your child set realistic standards for
  themselves.
• Teach the concept of constructive failure
• Assure your child that your love for him is
  unconditional and not contingent on his successes
  or failures.
• Dont let study interfere with healthy eating and
  sleeping!
• Be on the look out for physical symptoms, i.e.
  nausea on days of tests, excessive nervousness,
  loss of humor
• Seek professional help when perfectionism becomes
  neurotic.

Source http//www.riage.org/perfectionism.html
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What can Teachers Do?

• Recognize the positive and negative traits of
  perfectionism.
• Expect excellence but not perfection from your
  students talk with your students about the
  difference.
• Use rubrics and specific criteria for
  assignments, show examples of exemplary products.
• Help all students set realistic goals.
• Provide a safe environment for failure.
• Do not grade all assignments
• Use humor in the classroom
• Seek assistance from school counselors.

Source http//www.riage.org/perfectionism.html
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Bibliography

• Adderholdt, Miriam and Jan Goldberg.
  Perfectionism Whats Bad About Being too Good?
  Rev. Ed. Minneapolis, Free Spirit, 1999.
• Davis, Gary and Sylvia Rimm. Education of the
  Gifted and Talented. 5th ed. Boston, Pearson,
  2004.
• National Association for Gifted Children.
  Peferctionism. Accessed 6/15/08.
  http//www.nagc.org/index.aspx?id1214.
• Rhode Island Advocates for Gifted Education.
  Perfectionism and the Gifted Adolescent.
  Accessed 6/15/08. http//www.riage.org/perfection
  ism.html
• Tools for Personal Growth Overcoming
  Perfectionism. Accessed 6/15/08.
  http//www.coping.org/growth/perfect.htm.
• Websters online dictionary. Accessed 6/15/08.
  http//www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary