Examining the relation between perfectionism and mind-wandering

Abstract

Using two distinct approaches, we explored whether there was a unique association between mind-wandering and perfectionism that could not simply be explained by their established relations with conscientiousness, neuroticism and agreeableness. We assessed trait-level subjective report measures across three cohorts (Nanalyzed = 389). The link between perfectionism and mind-wandering was significant even after accounting for variance from the above-mentioned personality traits. We subsequently examined the link between trait-level perfectionism and momentary manifestations of mind-wandering during a cognitive task (Nanalyzed = 161). Trait-level perfectionism did not predict mind-wandering during the task, or task performance. Results suggest that individuals higher in perfectionistic tendencies might mind-wander more in daily life, but this relation may not manifest in the context of a laboratory task.