In other words, males may overestimate their abilities (due to being less competent), while females underestimate their abilities (due to being more competent).
Your study showed that these gender differences in perception exist when competency is equivalent, so, no. Women are not dropping out of the sciences because they're too smart for them.
That's not what I was saying at all. The DKE says nothing about how smart you are. It describes an effect of overrating skills (in general) among those who have poorer skills and underrating them (as compared to a group) among those with higher skills.
The study quoted found that women underrated their abilities in scientific reasoning, and that this problem may play a role in their higher dropout rates.
This finding is a counterargument to the idea that males are more capable than females in STEM fields. Guys say they're better. That doesn't make it so.
