Pride is based on amount of effort they put in, not on looking smart. They work hard. Being unchallenged is boring and offers no chance to test or prove themselves. Thus, even if they don't feel they are real bright, they will take on tough, challenging intellectual tasks, risking failing on an assignment. More boys take this attitude than girls.
Image oriented students see intelligence as permanently fixed.
They consider it very important that others see them as smart or, at least, not stupid or naive. Since doing well is assumed to be due to brains and not effort, there isn't much need to work hard. In fact, if a person has to work hard to learn something, that suggests they aren't very smart. And, if you do poorly, there isn't anything you can do about it. You were born that way.