5.7.5 Mindsets of Underachievers: Understanding Why They Underachieve and What We Can Do

We propose to present our findings from a research study we conducted in the United States regarding how gifted underachievers differ from gifted achievers. We will share how our research extends the line of inquiry in understanding the Achievement Orientation Model (McCoach & Siegle, 2005) by showcasing how students’ conceptions of ability (mindset) and perfectionistic beliefs influence achievement. We will begin our presentation by providing an overview of the factors within the Achievement Orientation Model (goal valuation, environmental perception, self-efficacy, and self-regulation) and how our findings relate to and support the model. We will explain differences in types of gifted underachievers (covert vs. overt) and how this typology relates to avoidance coping and perfectionism as well. We will provide examples of various behaviors of underachievers and lead a collaborative discussion on how to address the reasons for underachievement through specific intervention measures including mental contrasting with implementation intentions (Oettingen & Gollwitzer, 2015), organization strategies, sense-of-purpose interventions, and strategies to address self-efficacy.

The following is a summary of our research study: We compared differences between mindset beliefs about intelligence (fixed vs growth), dimensions of perfectionism (concern over mistakes, doubt of action, personal standards, organization), and achievement attitudes among gifted underachievers (n = 15) and gifted achievers (n = 169) in grades 6-8 and explored the relationship between mindset beliefs and dimensions of perfectionism. Our findings showed that gifted underachievers had higher fixed mindset beliefs about intelligence (d = .79), lower scores on organization (d = -1.01), and lower motivation (d = -1.17) when compared to gifted achievers. These factors were also statistically significant in logistic regression models predicting achievement status. Additionally, for the entire sample of gifted students (N = 264) fixed mindset beliefs predicted both dimensions of Evaluative Concerns Perfectionism [Concern over Mistakes (b = .35, p < .0001), Doubt of Action (b = .28, p <.0001)], while growth mindset beliefs predicted both dimensions of Positive Strivings Perfectionism [Personal Standards (b = .35, p < .0001) and Organization (b = .21, p = .001)]. Our findings provide a clearer picture of the relationships among underachievement, perfectionism, implicit theories of intelligence, and achievement attitudes, providing guidance for affective interventions.

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