Originally Posted by Bostonian
I have seen similar research. I wonder if the gifted are more likely to suffer from "depressive realism" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depressive_realism .

My observation is that my DD is prone to something worse... building an unrealistic self-identity that is incorrect on the negative side. Perfectionist tendencies and an unrealistic set of expectations can easily lead her to a conclusion of "I'm stupid" in the face of failure. And since she's not unique in these traits, I'd expect that this is a common trap for gifted kids.

It's kinda like the anorexic person who looks in the mirror at gaunt features and concludes, "I'm fat."

It has been documented in research that the truly gifted, when asked to self-assess on their intelligence level, will also often respond with "above average."