Perfectionistic Behavior Research Articles

An examination of relationships between transdiagnostic psychological processes and mental health disorders in athletes

IntroductionThe aims of this study were (a) to identify links between transdiagnostic psychological processes and mental health disorder (MHD) symptoms, and (b) to examine differences in MHD and transdiagnostic psychological processes as a function of demographic variables, including, gender, status as an athlete (elite vs. non-elite), number of training sessions per week, previous severe injuries, and use of medical care following severe injuries. MethodsA total of 159 competitive athletes aged between 18 and 40 years old (44 % female; mean age = 24.20 ± 4.88 years) participated in this cross-sectional study. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire along with validated questionnaires evaluating MHD symptoms and transdiagnostic processes including: motivation to practice sport, emotional competencies, self-efficacy, repetitive negative thinking, meta-cognitive beliefs, and impulsive and perfectionist behaviors. ResultsMHD symptoms were positively correlated with controlled forms of motivation, repetitive negative thinking, meta-cognitive beliefs, and impulsive and perfectionistic behaviors; and negatively correlated with emotional competencies and self-efficacy. Gender differences showed that women were more likely to experience MHD, higher levels of repetitive negative thinking, meta-cognitive beliefs, and lower levels of emotional competencies and self-efficacy than men. Finally, elite athletes showed higher personal standards than their non-elite counterparts and those training more than four times per week showed significantly higher perfectionistic behaviors. DiscussionThese results are in line with previous findings in clinical psychology and shed light on the role of transdiagnostic processes and the risk of MHD in a sample of French athletes. Further research on the identification of key risk factors for MHD in competitive athletes is needed.

The Twofold Manifestation of Perfectionism in Textile Craft: Experiences of Self-Identified Perfectionists

This study explores the experiences of a group of self-identified perfectionists in relation to perfectionism associated with their crafting. It focuses on the participants’ own perceptions of (1) to whom their perfectionistic behavior was directed or by whom it was caused, and (2) whether and how the participants’ perfectionism was manifested both positively and negatively. The focal points mirror the constructs of perfectionism by Hewitt and Flett (1991) and Stoeber and Otto (2006). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 Finnish people who identified as women and whose hobby was crafting. Inductive and deductive reasoning were used in the content analysis process to identify themes in the transcribed data. The themes that were identified, namely dimension of perfectionism, positive manifestation of perfectionism, and negative manifestation of perfectionism, provided answers for the research questions. The participants’ accounts suggest that their perfectionism was self-oriented, and it manifested both positively and negatively in varying degrees. However, the negative influence of perfectionism seemed to outweigh its positive influence. The findings were in line with previous studies of perfectionism in creative activities. Moreover, they support the presented theories which suggest that the perfectionism construct includes both positive and negative aspects.

Examination of Measures of Perfectionism for Structural and Measurement Invariance in an Italian and a Canadian Sample

Perfectionism measures developed in English-speaking populations have become frequently used in many non-English contexts, including in Italy. Establishing structural and measurement equivalence of instruments between Canadian and Italian samples is therefore important in establishing the validity of these concepts and instruments in Italian contexts, and to allow for direct cross-cultural comparisons. The current study investigated the measurement equivalence between a Canadian and an Italian sample for the commonly used measures of perfectionism constructs based on the Comprehensive Model of Perfectionistic Behavior. The Hewitt & Flett Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale, the Perfectionistic Self-Presentation Scale, and the Perfectionism Cognitions Inventory were examined for configural, metric, and scalar invariance via equivalence testing of multigroup confirmatory factor analysis models. The results showed some evidence for configural and metric equivalence for the three measures, thus facilitating cross-cultural interpretation of pattern of associations. However, there was no consistent evidence for scalar invariance, thus suggesting that direct comparisons of perfectionism levels between the two contexts cannot be meaningfully interpreted. This highlights the need for research in both Canadian and Italian contexts to understand cross-cultural differences and similarities in perfectionism.

Play Your Part: Prevent Burnout in Your Athletes through Fighting Unhealthy Perfectionism

Young athletes want to be successful in many aspects of their game. Unfortunately, some athletes allow their desire to be successful to turn into perfectionistic behaviors that do not benefit them and can lead to burnout. Coaches have a responsibility and want to help their athletes through their unhealthy perfectionism, but many coaches do not know how to do so. This article provides practical suggestions for coaches to help their athletes when they exhibit perfectionistic behaviors.

Associations between improvements in psychological variables and subsequent sick leave among persons receiving a multimodal intervention for exhaustion disorder

BackgroundThe incidence of sick leave due to stress-related disorders such as exhaustion disorder (ED) is high in many economically developed countries. Meanwhile, knowledge about facilitating return to work during clinical interventions for ED patients is still limited. The current study aimed to investigate if improvements in exhaustion symptoms, insomnia, perfectionistic behaviors, psychological flexibility, and perceived work ability during treatment of ED were associated with subsequent sick leave in the year following treatment.MethodsUsing a cohort of 880 ED patients who had participated in a multimodal intervention based on Cognitive Behavior Therapy, we estimated the association between one standard deviation (SD) improvement in treatment-related variables and the rate of net days of sick leave one-year following treatment.ResultsOur results showed that improvements in all treatment-related variables were associated with lower sick leave rates one year following treatment. Improvements in exhaustion symptoms (rate ratio (RR): 0.70 [95% CI 0.66; 0.75]) and self-perceived work ability (RR 0.56 [95% CI 0.50; 0.63]) showed the strongest associations to subsequent sick leave.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that interventions focusing on exhaustion symptoms, insomnia, perfectionistic behaviors, psychological flexibility, and perceived work ability can have a meaningful impact on ED patients’ subsequent sick leave.Trial registrationClinicaltrials.gov (Identifier: NCT03360136).

Be Prosocial My Friend: The Social Disconnection Model of Perfectionism in Adolescents Immersed in Competitive Sport.

The aim of the present study is to explore the relationships between cognitive-behavioral patterns of perfectionism in the context of competitive sport and both prosociality and aggressiveness in a sample of adolescents competing in federated sports. A cross-sectional and non-randomized study was designed using a selective methodology on a sample of adolescents (N = 234) competing in federated sports. Scales to assess aggressiveness, perfectionism, prosocial behavior, and competitiveness were administrated. The results show that as age increases, prosocial behaviors increase and aggressive behaviors and competitiveness decrease, while there was no one significant perfectionist tendency. Competitiveness showed a direct relationship with aggressive (positive) and prosocial behaviors (negative). Self-oriented perfectionistic behavior showed a direct and significant relationship with prosocial behaviors, but no significant relationship with aggressive responses. As P-SP and P-OD tendencies increased, significantly smaller links were shown with prosocial behaviors, but greater links were shown with aggressive behaviors. A path (mediation) model showed a positive and predictive relationship with aggressive behaviors and a negative relationship with prosocial altruistic behaviors. The negative influence of criticism from significant figures in their environment and unrealistic expectations about their performance are relevant to difficulties in self-regulating social relationships in adolescents. Hence, it is a challenge to promote prosocial resources (as a protective value for aggressive behaviors) in the face of the early angst of young athletes, who put their maturity to the test under conditions of high pressure and demands. The present study continues to reinforce the line drawn on perfectionism and prosocial development in young people in sports contexts where young people, measured early on according to their performance, can accentuate and deepen competitive tendencies that alter their adaptive and self-regulatory capacities, as well as their psychosocial projection.

The relationships between buyers' mediated power and suppliers' psychologically defensive workplace behavior: case of Bangladeshi apparel manufacturing firms

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate the relationships between the social power of apparel buyers from developed countries and the psychologically defensive workplace behavior (PDWB) of the suppliers from a developing country.Design/methodology/approachAn online survey was used to collect 205 responses from the professionals who were working in the apparel exporting companies in Bangladesh. Data were analyzed quantitatively.FindingsThe results showed that the exercise of buyers' reward and coercive power was associated with the suppliers' perfectionistic workplace behavior. The exercise of buyers' coercive power was associated with the suppliers' arrogant-vindictive workplace behavior. The exercise of buyers' reward power was associated with the suppliers' narcissistic workplace behavior, and coercive power was found to be statistically suggestive.Research limitations/implicationsThis study purposely used convenient and snowball sampling techniques to collect data from Bangladesh only. Future researchers could focus on random sampling from different countries to improve the generalizability of the research.Practical implicationsThis study will help apparel buyers to better negotiate with Bangladeshi suppliers regarding maintaining proper workplace conditions and compliances. It will also help industry professionals to better educate suppliers on how to deal with workplace pressure.Originality/valueThis study adds to the literature on social power and PDWB, specifically related to the apparel manufacturing industry, and will help illustrate the impact of workplace behavior in terms of corporate social responsibility beyond the usual measurement of the codes of conduct and compliance issues.

Behavioral Activation for a Breast Cancer Patient with Major Depression and Coexistent Personality Disorder

Behavioral activation is an empirically validated treatment for depression, with recent applications toward other psychological and medical conditions. However, modification to the treatment protocol may be necessary when symptoms, environment, or personality necessitate. This feasibility study applied Behavioral Activation Treatment for Depression (BATD) in a case of a woman with recurrent major depression and obsessive–compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) undergoing breast cancer treatment. A quasi-experimental design was used, comparing supportive psychotherapy (while she received radiation therapy) followed by eight sessions of BATD. Treatment was designed in accordance with patient and therapist goals of increasing exercise, decreasing fatigue, and reducing interference due to perfectionistic behaviors. The patient exhibited resistance to initiation of BATD, related to symptoms of OCPD, which necessitated modification of treatment strategies and scheduling. Following BATD, the patient reported a significant reduction in depressive symptoms, physical problems, and role limitations—gains not observed following supportive therapy. In addition, she demonstrated less psychological rigidity and interference due to OCPD symptoms within the therapeutic relationship and other interpersonal relationships. Consistent with previous research, results indicate BATD may effectively treat individuals with complex clinical presentations that include personality disorder pathology. In addition, methods of modification to BATD are discussed, as well as future directions for research in this area.

Domain-specificity in perfectionism: Variations across domains of life

Perfectionism has been assessed in relation to salient or narrow domains within specific populations, yet little is understood across broader domains of life. The aim was to assess positive perfectionism (PP) and negative perfectionism (NP) in five broad domains; university/work, relationships, physical activity, domestic environment and appearance and to determine any gender differences within domains. One hundred and forty four university students (females n=101; males n=43) completed a modified perfectionism measure for each domain. Correlations within and between domains for PP and NP ranged from low to moderate with differential patterns by gender, supporting more domain specificity and less of a universal trait. Repeated measures ANOVAs revealed that, overall, PP and NP in the university/work domain was significantly higher than all other domains. Females reported greater PP in the university domain compared to other domains, and more PP in the relationship, domestic environment and appearance domains as compared to the physical activity domain. In contrast, males reported significantly higher PP in the physical activity domain. Females reported significantly higher NP in the university and appearance domains, while males had similar NP across all domains. These findings present a more complex picture of perfectionism with implications for domain-specificity in perfectionistic behavior.

An experimental manipulation of maternal perfectionistic anxious rearing behaviors with anxious and non-anxious children

The anxious rearing model of perfectionism development proposes that children develop perfectionism in response to parental worry about their children being imperfect and parental behaviors such as overprotection from mistakes and focus on the negative consequences of mistakes. In the current study, perfectionistic rearing behaviors were experimentally manipulated during a copy task in clinically anxious children (n=42) and non-anxious children (n=35). Children were randomized to receive high or non-perfectionistic rearing behaviors from their parents during the copy task designed to elicit child perfectionistic behaviors. Results showed that self-reported self-oriented perfectionism (SOP) was significantly higher in the anxious group compared with the non-anxious group. All children showed an increase in observed SOP in response to high perfectionistic rearing behaviors. Despite this increase in SOP in the high perfectionistic rearing condition, it was children in the non-perfectionistic rearing condition that improved significantly in task accuracy performance. Non-anxious children declined in task-related striving for perfectionism when they experienced non-perfectionistic rearing behaviors from their parents. Anxious children, however, did not show a decline in task-related striving following non-perfectionistic rearing. Results support the perfectionistic rearing model and parental perfectionistic behaviors’ impact on children’s observed and self-reported SOP and task performance.

Clarifying the Construct of Perfectionism

The construct of perfectionism is related to many important outcome variables. However, the term perfectionism has been defined in many different ways, and items comprising the different existing scales appear to be very different in content. The overarching aim of the present set of studies was to help clarify the specific unidimensional personality constructs that contribute to perfectionistic behavior. First, trained raters reliably sorted items from existing measures of perfectionism into nine dimensions. An exploratory factor analysis, followed by a confirmatory factor analysis on an independent sample, resulted in a 9-scale, 61-item measure, called the Measure of Constructs Underlying Perfectionism. The nine scales were internally consistent and stable across time, and they were differentially associated with relevant measures of personality in theoretically meaningful ways.

Perfectionism: International Case Studies

Perfectionism has been recognized as a common emotional trait of giftedness. The purpose of this international exploratory study was to examine perfectionism in gifted male and female adolescents in nine countries. How they perceive their perfectionism and the consequences of their perfectionistic behaviors is explored. Students were also asked to provide advice to educators, parents, and counselors on how to help perfectionistic gifted adolescents. Qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection were employed to gather data from gifted male and female adolescents in each country who were identified as having perfectionistic tendencies. Structured written interviews and an instrument measuring perfectionism were used to provide information about the perceptions and behaviors of this population.

Compulsive-like behavior in individuals with Down syndrome: its relation to mental age level, adaptive and maladaptive behavior.

This study examined the nature of repetitive, ritualistic, and compulsive-like behaviors in 50 typically developing children and 50 individuals with Down syndrome (DS), matched on mental age (MA; M = 59.72 months). Parents reported on their children's compulsive-like behaviors-including ritualistic habits-and perfectionistic behaviors, as well as their children's adaptive and maladaptive behaviors. Results indicated that children with DS show similar MA-related changes in compulsive-like behaviors compared to the MA-matched comparison group. Younger children (both typical and DS) exhibited significantly more compulsive-like behaviors than older children. In general, children with and without DS did not differ from each other in terms of the number of compulsive-like behaviors they engaged in, although participants with DS engaged in more frequent, more intense repetitive behaviors. Compulsive-like behaviors were differentially related to adaptive and maladaptive behaviors across the MA and mental retardation groups. The results extend the "similar sequence" model of development to the construct of compulsive-like behaviors, and also suggest that some repetitive behaviors may be among the behavioral phenotype of individuals with DS.

The rituals, fears and phobias of young children: insights from development, psychopathology and neurobiology.

This study examined the relationship between ritualistic, compulsive-like behaviors and normative fears and phobias in 61 children ranging from 1 to 7 years of age. Parents reported on their children's ritualistic habits, and perfectionistic behaviors that reflect what we have previously called "compulsive-like" behaviors. Parents also reported on their children's fears and phobias. Results indicated that various aspects of children's ritualistic and compulsive-like behaviors are correlated with children's fears and phobias. Developmental differences existed such that younger children's (< 4 years) repetitive, compulsive-like behaviors were related to "prepotent" fears such as stranger and separation anxieties, whereas the compulsive-like behaviors of older children (> 4 years) were correlated with more specific, "contextual" fears such as fears of contamination, death, and fears often associated with concerns of the inner city such as burglars, assault, etc. These findings are discussed in terms of the phenomenologic and possible neurobiological continuities between normative and pathologic rituals, fears and phobias.

Ingredients of parental “pressure” in early childhood

This study examined the parental beliefs, dispositions, and behaviors frequently cited in the popular literature as contributors to “pressure” or “hothousing” of young children. In a sample of 90 middle- and upper-middle-class mothers of preschool children, beliefs in formal academic instruction, adult-directed learning, and early developmental timetables were assessed with the Educational Attitude Scale and the Developmental Expectations Questionnaire. Mothers' rigidity, critical attitudes, and anxiety were rated by interviewers. From videotapes of two mother-child tasks (an Etch-a-Sketch design copying task and a picture-making task), mothers' directive, controlling, perfectionistic, and critical behaviors were scored. Results showed wide variability in mothers' pressure-related beliefs, dispositions, and behaviors. Measures of pressure or hothousing within each of these three areas were intercorrelated. Hothousing beliefs tended to be associated with more directive, controlling maternal behavior, and with more “high-pressure” personality dispositions as rated by interviewers, although associations were modest in strength. Cluster analysis was used to derive groupings of parents on the basis of these characteristics. A two-group cluster solution yielded (1) a group of mothers ( n = 29) with high levels of hothousing beliefs, high-pressure ratings by interviewers, and high frequencies of criticism, directiveness, control, and perfectionistic behavior, and (2) a contrasting, considerably larger group of mothers ( n = 61) with lower scores in all of these areas. A three-group solution produced groups similar to those yielded by the two-group solution, but added a small subgroup of mothers ( n = 8) who combined self-reported antihothousing beliefs with highly critical and perfectionistic behavior in interactions with their children.

The antisocial character.

In the early 1950s, I interviewed a 20-year-old man on the prison ward at Bellevue Psychiatric Hospital who had planned, conspired, and helped commit a double murder with ruthless disregard for the consequences of his actionsJ In a very businesslike way he had persuaded a companion, a schizophrenic who was an only son of two physicians, to poison them by having them both drink champagne, which the instigator had filled with arsenic, on the parents' wedding anniversary night at a "celebration" by this foursome. The police listed their deaths as a double suicide for more than a year. Meanwhile, a life insurance policy of $150,000 was shared by the two youths. The reason for their eventual arrest was my patient's need to impress his girlfriend by constantly boasting of his role in killing his friend's parents; she eventually informed the police about the crime. As a result, both young men were placed on the prison ward for examination and observation. The couple's son was diagnosed as a schizophrenic and my patient as a "psychopathic personality." During my psychiatric interviews with him, he neither showed consciously remorse, guilt, shame, nor anxiety, nor did he admit feeling any of these emotions. He admitted readily to his part in the murder, which he said was, to him, an experience similar to Oscar Wilde's "In Search of a New Experience." He did not have any remorse about his actions, except for the regret he felt about being apprehended and imprisoned. He admitted seeing nothing wrong with murder, stealing, or any other immoral or amoral actions, provided he or anyone else could "get away with it." He showed no psychotic illness or symptoms. I demonstrated that his unconscious, idealized image of perfectionistic behavior, with its unrelenting "shoulds" of absolute moralistic standards and unconscious guilt and anxiety, was so burdensome to him that he felt that the only way to relieve himself of this powerful pressure was to externalize his problems and overthrow in one fell swoop all of these social pressures, by