According to Dr. Heidi Grant Halvorson in a recent article in Psychology Today, “The Trouble with Bright Girls,” women “judge our own abilities not only more harshly, but fundamentally differently, than men do.”

When young girls perform well, they are often praised in terms of innate abilities — for being “smart” or “clever” — and so they internalize a sense that their abilities are fixed and unchangeable.

Boys are often praised for their efforts — for working hard, or for trying again and again — and so they learn that effort, not ability, is what’s important.

The result is that girls feel confident until they’re faced with a setback, whereas boys’ confidence persists even in the face of setbacks.