Conceptualization and Measurement of Adaptive and Maladaptive Aspects of Performance Perfectionism: Relations to Personality, Psychological Functioning, and Academic Achievement

Abstract

A program of research was initiated to evaluate the construct of performance perfectionism in adults. Findings from these studies indicated that different adaptive and maladaptive aspects of performance perfectionism could be distinguished (Studies 1a & 1b), and that performance perfectionism was distinguishable from alternative personality variables, including the five-factor model (Study 2). Furthermore, additional findings indicated that performance perfectionism was associated with positive and negative psychological functioning (Studies 3a & 3b), and with prospective academic achievement in the classroom (Study 4). In addition, regression results indicated that performance perfectionism accounted for additional variance in positive psychological functioning beyond a popular measure of perfectionism (Study 3b). Some implications of the present findings and future directions are discussed.