5 Things That Undermine Achievement in Gifted Boys

Self-regulation, peer relations, and more.

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Key points

• People who achieve less than their potential are often left with regret and disappointment, in spite of much success.
• Gifted children who are struggling academically present an unmet challenge for the educational system.
• Research identifies various external factors that may lead to underachievement among gifted kids.
• Detailed interviews provide actionable insights into the subjective reasons gifted children have difficulties in school.

Many people reached out after reading about the association between the personality trait of openness to experience and giftedness, often noting reservations about the current term “ gifted “-how it limits discussion, how it lumps a lot of different people into one vague group, how it sets up a dichotomy with “non-gifted, and more-while also expressing relief and appreciation at feeling recognized. Poignantly, the stigma and challenges to thriving that gifted people sometimes face was a frequent theme highlighted by those who reached out to share their own stories.

Recent research by Desmet and Pereira (2021) in the journal Gifted Education International took a close look at academic…