Perfectionism is a multidimensional durable
pattern of behavior viewed by many psychological scientists as a personality
trait (e.g., Smith et al., 2021).
Several
facets of the perfectionism trait have been identified. Considering the language
of the researchers, it is probably best to think of perfectionism as a
metatrait with several subtraits or, in the language of personality
inventories, a domain with a set of facets. For a review of the six facets of
perfectionism, see Smith et al. (2021) who refer to the six facets as components.
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Cite this post
Sutton, G. W. (2023). Psychology of perfectionism. Psychology Concepts and Theories. Retrieved from https://suttonpsychology.blogspot.com/2023/03/psychology-of-perfectionism.html
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Following
is a list of the six facets grouped by two subdomains.
Three
subtraits of perfectionism
- ·
Self-oriented
perfectionism (Demanding that oneself be perfect)
- ·
Other-oriented
perfectionism (Demanding that others be perfect)
- ·
Socially
prescribed perfectionism (Belief that others demand perfectionism of oneself)
Three
perfectionistic attitudes
- ·
Personal
standards perfectionism (Personal standards of conduct cannot be attained)
- ·
Concern
over mistakes (An obsessive worry or concern)
- ·
Doubts
about actions (Doubts about the adequacy of personal action)
EXPANDED DESCRIPTIONS OF PERFECTIONISM
Three
subtraits of perfectionism
Self-oriented perfectionism
> Strong negative self-evaluation of
substandard behavior
> Constantly striving to
achieve perfection
> highly motivated to avoid
failure
Other-oriented perfectionism
> a hypercritical and
demanding imposition of standards on others
> relentlessly and harshly demanding
that others be perfect
> blaming others
> extreme and rigid arrogance
Socially prescribed perfectionism
> attempts to be perfect
based on beliefs of the standards expected by other people
> a relational trait
Three
perfectionistic attitudes
Personal standards perfectionism
> setting exceptionally high
standards
> belief in the importance of
the high standards
Concern over mistakes
> distress over personal
mistakes
> linking distress to evaluating
oneself as a failure
> high sensitivity to failure
> concerned with loss of
respect
Doubts about actions
> obsessive self-doubt
> indecisiveness
PERFECTIONISM: DIMENSIONALITY OR TYPOLOGY
In
psychology, human behavior is usually viewed on a continuum although some write
as if an aspect of personality represents a type or category. Given the way
psychologists measure perfectionism and other traits, it is possible to have a
range of scores representing the strength of a behavior pattern thus, a
categorical term like perfectionist would mean a person with a high degree of
the perfectionism trait evident in more than one measured facet.
PERFECTIONISM AND PERSONALITY
Researchers
have examined the relationship between perfectionism and the Five Factor Model
(FFM). The correlations vary with the perfectionism facet and the FFM domain.
|
FFM
|
Perfectionism
|
|
conscientiousness
|
Self-oriented, personal standards
|
|
agreeableness
|
Low socially prescribed
|
|
neuroticism
|
Concern over mistakes, doubts
about actions
|
PERFECTIONISM AND MENTAL DISORDERS- EXAMPLES
Researchers
have reported correlations between perfectionism scores and mental disorders.
|
Perfectionism
|
Mental
Disorders
|
Reference
|
|
perfectionism
|
OCD
|
Pinto et al., 2017
|
|
Self-oriented, socially prescribed
|
Depression
|
Smith et al., 2021
|
|
Other-oriented perfectionism
|
Antisocial, borderline,
histrionic, narcissistic
|
Sherry et al., 2007
|
|
Socially prescribed perfectionism
|
Depression, anxiety, hostility,
suicide
|
Blankstein et al., 2007; Enns
& Cox, 2002; Smith et al., 2018
|
|
Concern over mistakes
|
Eating disorders
|
Kehayes et al., 2019
|
PERFECTIONISM AND RELIGIOSITY or SPIRITUALITY
Perfectionism
is often found in people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). In OCD, the
obsessions cause intense distress, which appears to be temporarily relieved by
compulsive behavior. The obsessions include recurrent and intrusive thoughts
and images (Pinto et al., 2017). One type of OCD is scrupulosity, which has
also been called religious OCD (Phillips & Fisak, 2022). One measure
of scrupulosity is the Penn Inventory of Scrupulosity (PIOS, Abramowitz et al.,
2002). Olatunji et al. (2017) reported a revised version of the PIOS was
significantly correlated (r = 0.43) with a measure of obsessive-compulsive
symptoms (Obsessive Compulsive Inventory-Revised (Olatunji et al., 2007). Wang
et al. (2018) reported a strong correlation between religious perfectionism and
scrupulosity using the Perceived Perfectionism from God Scale (PPGS) . There
are two subscales of the PPGS (Perceived Standards from God and Perceived
Discrepancy from God). The correlations reveal a stronger link between scrupulosity
measured on the PIOS) and God discrepancy (.55) than for God standards (.17)
although both were reliable findings (ps < . 001).
Summary of perfectionism and religiosity
Religious perfectionism can be seen in people who aim to live up to standards
of conduct perceived to be from God and they may evaluate the degree to which
they do not meet those standards. Some may become considerably distressed with
their failure to meet the perceived godly standards. This distress may reach
diagnostic standards for the type of OCD known as scrupulosity.
PERFECTIONISM: PRO AND CON
Perfectionism
has strong links to maladaptive behavior and considerable mental distress.
However, some researchers find an aspect of perfectionism to be adaptive. That
is, some people who strive to be perfect are recognized by others as meeting
high standards if not perfection. Perhaps the prime example is a rating of 10
on a 10-point scale used in athletic competitions or a perfect game in
baseball. See Smith et al. (2018) for more on the general notion of adaptive
and maladaptive perfectionism. See Wang et al. (2018) for an example of two
factors in a form of religious perfectionism.
Measuring
Perfectionism
Multidimensional
Perfectionism Scale-Brief (FMPS-B; Burgess et al., 2016)
Perfectionistic
Self-Presentation Scale (PSPS; Hewitt et al., 2003)
Perfectionism
Cognitions Inventory (PCI, Flett et al., 1998)
Almost
perfect scale-revised (APS-R; Slaney et al., 1996)
Physical
appearance perfectionism scale (PAPS; Yang et al., 2012)
Perceived Perfectionism from God Scale (PPGS)
Cite
this post
Sutton, G.
W. (2023). Psychology of perfectionism. Psychology Concepts and Theories. Retrieved from https://suttonpsychology.blogspot.com/2023/03/psychology-of-perfectionism.html
References
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Perfectionism has been linked to suicide and suicidal
ideation.
Help is available:
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline number 988.
Call 911.
Go to the nearest emergency room.
Geoffrey W. Sutton, PhD is Emeritus
Professor of Psychology. He retired from a clinical practice and was
credentialed in clinical neuropsychology and psychopharmacology. His website
is www.suttong.com
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