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Perfectionism, goal orientation, engagement and academic emotions of highly gifted girls
Author
Chun, Nina Keng Yen
Supervisor
Tan, Liang See
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between independent perfectionism variables of Discrepancy, High Standards and Order and the dependent variables of the different goal orientation, help-seeking behavior and discrete academic emotions among highly gifted girls. It also attempts to find out the proportion of adaptive perfectionists, maladaptive perfectionists and non-perfectionists amongst highly gifted girls. Finally, the study explores differences between goal orientation, help-seeking behavior, discrete academic emotions and Chemistry performance amongst the different groups of adaptive perfectionists, maladaptive perfectionists and non-perfectionists. Participants were 225 Secondary Three highly gifted girls (aged between 14 to 15 years) from a school offering the Integrated Programme in Singapore. Multiple regression analyses revealed that that High Standards is a positive predictor of mastery-approach goals, performance-approach goals, enjoyment, hope and pride and a negative predictor of avoidance of help-seeking behavior. Discrepancy is a significant positive predictor of performance-avoidance goals, avoidance of help-seeking behavior, anxiety, hopelessness and shame and a negative predictor of hope. Cluster analysis showed that there were adaptive perfectionists, maladaptive perfectionists as well as non-perfectionists within a sample of gifted girls. Adaptive perfectionists and maladaptive perfectionists appeared to have similar outcomes except that maladaptive perfectionists experienced significantly higher levels of shame. Perfectionists were found to experience higher levels of anxiety than non-perfectionists. Non-perfectionists were found to have lower mean scores in mastery-approach goals, performance approach goals and positive academic emotions compared to perfectionists. Findings indicated the importance of educators in encouraging gifted girls to set high standards and to teach them to manage their perceive discrepancy between their personal standards and actual performance. Findings also indicated the importance of educators in encouraging non-perfectionists to endorse high standards and mastery-approach goals.
Date Issued
2010
Call Number
BF698.35.P47 Chu
Date Submitted
2010