I've often heard the terms Dissonance, and cognitive dissonance,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_dissonance but recently I heard the term used in a new way.
I saw it used to discribe the frustration that gifted kids experience when their mental image of what they want to accomplish, is so far from what they actually are able to accomplish. Example - typically, 4 year olds try making letters and are pleased with their results. Pleasure leads to more attempts which leads to better results. A gifted 4 year old may have the "idea" of a letter firmly in her mind, be able to notice the differences between the mental ideal and her product, and reject her own attempts to produce the letter, leading to few opportunities to practice, and less good results.
This is similar to Perfectionism, but different, as my understanding is that for perfectionists, nothing is every good enough, while the child who is frustrated by Dissonance maybe quite happy to direct an adult to form the letter, or use a computer and make a printout of a letter. I think for perfectionists it's "all about me" and in the case of Dissonance its about the asynchrony of critical ability outstripping motor ability.
Does anyone think I'm on to something here? Any stories?
Trinity