Interpreting Successes and Failures: The Influence of Perfectionism on Perspective

The findings reported in this article are part of a larger study investigating perfectionism in gifted college students. This qualitative interview study examined differences in the interpretation of successes and failures between gifted college students scoring high on either socially prescribed or self-oriented perfectionism. Findings indicated that socially prescribed perfectionists tended to minimize their successes. They made internal attributions for failure, and they overgeneralized and inflated its ramifications. In contrast, self-oriented perfectionists took pride in their successes and made internal attributions for them. With regard to their failures, they made attributions that were situation-specific, and they were able to keep them in perspective. However, they did report frustration and anger when confronting a failure in a situation where they had applied their greatest effort. Based on these findings, implications for future research and recommendations for parents and educators of gifted children are suggested.