This investigation examined the perceptions of competence in various domains that academically talented seventh-graders hold in comparison with peers of the same and opposite gender. Subjects included 1,294 participants in the Duke University Talent Identification Program Talent Search. A Likert-type scheme and multifactor repeated measures were used to compare students' perceptions of their competence in 12 areas: (1) English/writing, (2) social studies, (3) foreign languages, (4) art/music, (5) home economics, (6) mathematics, (7) science, (8) computer programming, (9) vocational skills, (10) athletics, (11) leadership, and (12) school in general. Boys and girls rated their abilities favorably in comparison with others of either gender in most areas of comparison. Boys' and girls' perceptions varied in many areas, and in most, girls perceived higher competence than did boys. Both boys and girls perceived their own competence higher in comparison to boys than to girls in most areas. The study did not find the expected case of low perceptions of competence for females in such areas as mathematics and science. (Contains 42 references.) (Author/DB)