The pressure to be perfect may intensify for kids once they get into high school — especially for those labeled as “gifted,” according to a new University of Georgia study.
Gifted students are typically identified in elementary school for advanced or additional class opportunities based on academic aptitude and competence. They traditionally remain in these advanced courses throughout the K-12 timeline.
The study found gifted high school students are more driven to perfectionism than their younger counterparts. This drive was largely self-oriented, meaning the students held themselves to high standards.
But what drives that goal for perfection affects the well-being of the teen, as well as their relationships with others.
“We hear a lot from parents that their child is a perfectionist,” said Sakhavat Mammadov, corresponding author of the study and an associate professor in the UGA Mary Frances Early College of Education. Mammadov is also the director of the Learning and Well-Being Lab. “Some of them see it as something really good because they have very high standards and like to see their child succeed.
“However, students cannot always meet that standard. Then that perfectionism becomes harmful.”
Gifted high school students more likely to identify as perfectionists
Researchers analyzed responses from nearly 2,000 middle and high school students across two different studies.
The first study involved 1,182 middle and high school students, both gifted as well as students who were not in gifted programs. Students rated how they related to perfectionistic statements such as “I have to work hard all the time” or “I should have done better” when looking at a mistake.
Gifted high school students identified with perfectionist statements at a much higher rate than their same-age peers. They were more likely to report thoughts like “I need to work harder” or “People expect me to be perfect” on a daily basis.
The study found that high school appeared to intensify students’ feelings of needing to be perfect. Increased expectations combined with Advanced Placement courses, GPA tracking and looming college decisions may bring perfectionist tendencies to the forefront, Mammadov said.
In high school, academic achievement has more important consequences for students.
Sakhavat Mammadov, Mary Frances Early College of Education
“In high school, academic achievement has more important consequences for students,” he said. “They think that if they’re successful in these AP courses, that may help them with college or their career. They often think, ‘I need to be perfect on this.’”
The researchers found that younger students didn’t feel this way. Middle schoolers reported less stress and fewer intrusive thoughts, and if they did feel extra motivated, that feeling was shared by students both in and outside of gifted programs.
“Any environment that leads kids to develop perfectionistic tendencies should be eyed carefully, as to not add more pressure than there already is,” Mammadov said. “Even as adults, if you are working in an office for a boss who expects perfection, that can be really challenging.”
Letting others drive achievement has negative social impacts
The second study focused on 646 middle and high school students and examined what drove students’ desire to be perfect. The findings boiled down to three main causes:
● Students reported their high standards were set by themselves
● Students reported they felt high standards were set on them by peers and family
● Students reported their high standards were imposed by environment and social norms
Students were asked not only how they perceived themselves and others as drivers of perfectionist tendencies but also about their relationships with peers and teachers.
Gifted students were more likely to identify with self-oriented perfectionism, often saying they drove themselves to do well in school and life.
This self-motivation increased once students entered high school.
Those who said their motivation came from within were more likely to have good relationships with teachers and peers, as well as school as a concept.
The problem isn’t those high standards. The problem is they link their self-worth and their self-esteem to those standards.
Sakhavat Mammadov
Students who felt social pressure to be perfect, however, were more prone to isolation and often felt disconnected from school, their friends and their studies. In fact, this type of perfectionism was observed as a strong negative predictor of social adjustment and school relationships for all students, regardless of gifted status.
“The problem isn’t those high standards,” Mammadov said. “The problem is they link their self-worth and their self-esteem to those standards. When they don’t meet those standards, that’s where we see some kids have anxiety or depressive symptoms.
“They blame themselves after those stressful events where they don’t hit their goals, so that eventually that becomes harmful. Perfectionism isn’t a single trait. It matters tremendously whether the drive comes from within or is perceived as imposed by others.”
The study was published in Gifted Child Quarterly and was co-authored by Ayse Hilal Avci and Katharine Osborn, doctoral students in UGA’s department of educational psychology.