Abstract
What is meant by the words perfectionism? Perfectionism is not necessarily about being perfect. It is the relentless striving for extremely high standards that are personally demanding. Perfectionists are divided into two types, adaptive and maladaptive. It has been found that both adaptive and maladaptive perfectionists have high personal standards, but failing to meet those standards is more stressful for the latter than for the former. Perfectionism is often mistaken for being perfect or doing something perfectly. This review defines perfectionism and identifies both the helpful and the unhelpful aspects of being a perfectionist, and determines in what ways you might be a perfectionist.
Highlights
What is meant by the words perfectionism? Perfectionism is not necessarily about being perfect
Historical Overview Why do many researchers find it difficult to accept that perfectionism can be positive? Traditionally, perfectionism has been associated with psychopathology, with psychodynamic theory stressing that perfectionism was a sign of a neurotic and disordered personality
Studies with clinical populations found elevated levels of perfectionism in clients diagnosed with depression, obsessivecompulsive disorder, and eating disorders, and studies with nonclinical populations found perfectionism to be related to higher levels of distress and to pathological symptoms associated with depression, anxiety, and disordered eating (Stoeber and Rambow, 2007)
Summary
What is meant by the words perfectionism? Perfectionism is not necessarily about being perfect. Perfectionism Definition Perfectionism is a personality trait characterized by a person's striving for flawlessness and setting excessively high performance standards, accompanied by overly critical self-evaluations and concerns regarding others' evaluations (Stoeber and Childs, 2010 ; Flett and Hewitt, 2002). They showed that only the perfectionistic concerns dimension related to negative characteristics whereas the perfectionistic strivings dimension related to positive characteristics—and provided first empirical evidence that some forms of perfectionism can be positive.
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