Higher Perfectionism Among Gifted Individuals Might Be a Myth!

There is a common belief that perfectionism is a characteristic of  gifted individuals. Therefore the question of whether gifted students are more perfectionistic than their non-gifted peers has been studied in gifted education. This is due to the significance of perfectionism in the social and emotional development of gifted individuals.
Perfectionism is a complex concept, just  as giftedness is. A current meta-analysis by Ogurlu (2020) suggested that gifted individuals do not differ from their non-gifted peers concerning perfectionism. On the other hand, healthy perfectionism was higher in gifted participants than their non-gifted counterparts. Healthy perfectionism is characterized by striving for excellence and pleasure in the endeavor for success, and an awareness of the limits. Unhealthy perfectionism, conversely, is characterized by dissatisfaction with what has been accomplished, and by setting irrationally high goals. Ogurlu’s study implies that perfectionism is another myth about gifted individuals.
To read more about the study:
https://doi.org/10.1177/0162353220933006.
Uzeyir Orgurlu
Board Member, WI Association for Talented and Gifted