Characterization of Perfectionism in Gifted Students: an exploratory Case Study

Abstract

Perfectionism has been investigated related to the consequences to mental health it might entail for gifted students and their socioemotional development. However, findings have been inconclusive. This exploratory study aims to discover the main characteristics of adaptive and maladaptive perfectionism in gifted Chilean secondary students. For this purpose,  extreme cases were found using Frost´s Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale to subsequently conduct semi-structured interviews with a sample of four students. Results pointed to parental and societal expectations as the main aspects involved in the development of perfectionism, which sheds light on how to support the manifestation of perfectionism both in educational and clinical realms.