This study investigated the characteristics of perfectionistic gifted male and female adolescents in a rural middle school, how they perceived their perfectionism, the influences on their perfectionism, and the consequences of their perfectionistic behaviors in the context of their rural middle school experiences. Qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection were employed to gather data from 20 gifted male and female adolescents identified as having perfectionistic tendencies. Findings from this study confirm the theoretical proposition that perfectionism is a characteristic of many gifted adolescents. Results support the multidimensional theory of perfectionism, which states that perfectionism exists on a continuum with healthy to dysfunctional behaviors.
Several differences exist between the healthy perfectionists and the dysfunctional perfectionists.
Family, teacher, and peer influences on perfectionism were perceived as mostly positive for the healthy perfectionists, but negative for the dysfunctional perfectionists. The impact of gender roles was not found as an influence. The perceived lack of challenge by a majority of the perfectionists was manifested in their enormous efforts to make their school work perfect, while exerting minimal intellectual effort and receiving high grades in return. Based on the findings of this study, suggestions for parents, teachers, counselors, and school systems were delineated to assist them in recognizing and helping gifted adolescents deal with their perfectionistic tendencies. Healthy perfectionism was associated with two positive school results.