The Effects of Perfectionism on Students’ Academic Performance
Begüm UĞURLU
Yeditepe University
Psychology 102
Dr. ALTAN ATALAY
May 6, 2015
The Effects of Perfectionism on Students’ Academic Performance
This research focuses on the relationship between perfectionism and academic performance. For the purpose of investigate this relationship, first of all, description of Perfectionism, characteristics of perfectionist people and models of it examined. Secondly, different models of perfectionism and different effects of it on academic performance analyzed. Also, disorders because of being a perfectionist in academic life are presented.
Perfectionism that is a multi-dimensional personality trait can be defined as individual’s setting high standard that are unrealistic for themselves and striving effort more than normal to achieve these goals (Slaney et al., 2012; as cited Burnam et al., 2014). Perfectionist people who are not control themselves always look for faultlessness, pursue objectives that are not down to earth and identify their values according to how they reach their extremely high standards ( Martin and Greenwood, 2000; as cited Bencik & Metin, 2006). According to Frost and et al. (1990) there are 6 dimensions of perfectionism (Brustein and Michael, 2013). First dimension is excessive concern over mistakes that can be assumed that the perfectionists have extreme anxiety about making mistakes and they believe that doing one mistake will leads to other mistakes (Cranab and Raja, 2014). In other word, they look at the situations like all or nothing (Antony and Swinson, 2000; as cited Bencik and Metin, 2006).Second dimension is excessive high personal standards. In accordance with this dimension, perfectionists desire to achieve extremely high goals for themselves and it can lead to decrease of self-reliance (Bencik and Metin,2006). High parental expectation is another dimension of perfectionism that perfectionists feel like they never satisfied their parents’ expectations and they are not good as their parents’ wants (Brustein and Michael, 2013). Other dimension is called parental criticism and this dimension occurs when parents make over criticism about mistakes of their children (Anthony and Swinson, 2000; as cited Bencik and Metin, 2006). These critics also related with expectations of parents (Bencik and Metin, 2006). Besides, exaggerated emphasis on precision, order, and organization are known as one of these dimentions (Brustein and Michael, 2013). It refers that perfectionists do not like unexpected situations and therefore they always organize their personal and professional lives to achieve their extreme goals (Cattell and Schuerger, 2003; as cited Cranab and Raja, 2014). Last dimension is doubt about action (Cranab and Raja, 2014). Perfectionists feel like they are making some mistakes and suspect about the flawlessness of their action. They check their mistakes over and over, because of this and they spend lots of time for their studies (Bencik and Metin, 2006).
According to Hamacheck (1978), there are two different types of perfectionism that are normal and neurotic perfectionism (Cranab and Raja, 2014). Normal perfectionists perform excessive effort to achieve satisfactory result for themselves. They can accept small mistakes if they reach their targets. On the other hand, Neurotic perfectionists never satisfied by results and always want to better. Also Frost and et all (1990) assume that neurotic perfectionist individuals are not interested with what they do achieve, they are concerned with what they are not accomplish (Bencik and Metin, 2006).
The other conceptualization of perfectionism is put forwarded by Hewitt and Flatt (1991). According to this view, there are three component of perfectionism: Self-Oriented Perfectionism (SOP), Socially Prescribed Perfectionism (SSP) and Other-Oriented Perfectionism (OOP) (Bong et al., 2014). SOP can be defined as setting unachievable personal standard. This kind of perfectionist people tries to be flawless and avoid all kind of mistakes when they complete their unrealistic goals. Although they achieve objective, they are dissatisfied (Brustein and Michael, 2013) Individual who are SSP suppose that other people set incredibly difficult intensions for themselves. For this reason, they are afraid of rejected by other people when they make a failure (Brutein and Michael, 2013). OOP is imposing personal standards for other people. They expect that other people have to meet these extremely high standards (Bong et al., 2014)
Furthermore, Maladaptive and Adaptive Perfectionisms are other dimensions of Perfectionism ( Burnam et al., 2014). Adaptive that is also called healthy perfectionists endeavor deliberately for their excessive goals (Bencik and Metin, 2006). These perfectionists’ motivation level is extremely high and also it includes high-performance expectation from themselves with low level of negative self-evaluation ( Burnam et al., 2014). In the contract of adaptive, maladaptive that is called unhealthy perfectionist set difficult targets for themselves but they always delay their studies because of their extreme anxieties. Because of this, probability of being depressive of a maladaptive perfectionist is more than adaptive one.
Perfectionism and its effect on different areas of daily lives such as sports, body shapes, work places or academic performances of students are examined by many researchers (Brustein and Michael, 2013). These research’s results show that perfectionism has both negative and positive effects on individuals’ lives. One of these areas is students’ academic performance (Bencik and Metin, 2006). At that era, students become obsessive about their academic success because especially education system has very competitive performances and high standards (Harackiewicz et al., 1998; as cited Hanchon, 2010). These very high performance expectations of students combined with low level of negative self-evaluation or extreme self-blame. These characteristics also refer to adaptive and maladaptive perfectionism (Rice and Ashby, 2007; as cited Eum & Rice, 2011). According to the difference between maladaptive and adaptive perfectionism, academic performance of students display difference in SOP and SSP (Burnam et al., 2014).
The most important difference between maladaptive and adaptive perfectionist is that they have different level of striving for achievement (Hanchon, 2010). Maladaptive perfectionist students who are set very high standards and have self-doubt always concern about making mistakes and experiencing shame and quilt (Fedewa et al., 2005; as cited Burnam et al., 2014). According to the Blankstein et al., Maladaptive perfectionist students expect low grades than adaptive ones because of lower self-esteem and their worries about negative evaluation (Burnam et al., 2014). Generally this approach of students cause to weak results, mood disorders, anxiety or interpersonal conflicts (Hanchon, 2014). On the other hand Adaptive Perfectionist students who are put extreme standards for themselves and have a low level of level of negative self-evaluation (Burnam et al., 2014). According to Parker, this perspective provide students advantageous results, healthier psychological condition and more successful academically (Hanchon, 2010).
There are lots of subject examined related with perfectionism and academic performance relation and one of these is procrastination. According to Stell (2007), procrastination is a motivational problem of a student that can be assumed unsuccessful plan (Burnam et al., 2014). Procrastination is an academic problem and procrastinators have lack regulation and organization about their objectives. It is also leads to self-esteem, anxiety and depression (Burnam et al., 2014). The research of Burnam et al. (2014) shows that, students who planned and endeavor to be successful in their academic lives are less prone to be procrastination. Also, adaptive perfectionists are less likely to postpone their studies because of being organized, goal-oriented, managing time well and self-discipline (Burnam et al., 2014). Besides, the research of Burnam (2014) illustrates that maladaptive perfectionists perceive this procrastination a problem and want to decrease it but their fear of failure affect them negatively. These students overestimate their capacities and continue to procrastination (Burnam et al., 2014). To decrease procreation, students can be educated to be more organized and control their time yet it encourages only adaptive part of perfectionism. Therefore, these students who are less likely to be procrastination are more successful in their academic performances. (Burnam et.al., 2014).
Furthermore, the relation between cognitive test anxiety and perfectionism is another important subject for academic performance (Eum and Rice, 2011). According to study of Stober et all (2009), SOP that is also related with fear of failure and maladaptive part of perfectionism has positive relation with cognitive text anxiety but after a while they found that SOP also has negative effects on cognitive text anxiety (Eum and Rice, 2011). This situation shows that association of SOP and text anxiety is a contradictory subject (Eum & Rice, 2011). To build a relationship between SOP and text anxiety, Eum & Rice (2011) examine goal orientation of maladaptive and adaptive perfectionist and link it to SOP and text anxiety. According to Ames (1992) goal orientation is different approaches replying, engaging to reach purpose and there are three different types of goal orientations called mastery goal (MG), performance goal (PG) and performance avoidance goal (PAG) (Hanchon, 2010).MG is studying for knowledge and positive outcomes and it is self-focused ( Ames, 1992 ; as cited Hanchon, 2010). In contrast, PG is studying for the best to make a good impression in the society (Elliot & Church, 1997; as cited Hanchon, 2010). Besides, PAG is worrying about being worst and making mistakes (Elliot & McGregor, 2001; as sited Eum & Rice, 2011). Research of Eum and Rise (2011) demonstrate that adaptive perfectionist students who accent the MG and has self-motivation are experience less cognitive text anxiety than maladaptive perfectionist students who concern always failure.
Other subject that has relation with educational success of academically talented students is perfectionist parents (Ablard and Parker, 1997). Parents have unrealistic expectations and high standard for not only their children but also themselves. Therefore, these characteristics of parents associated with perfectionism (Ablard and Parker, 1997). Perfectionist parents criticize always mistakes and failure of their children and expect from them to be high level success and highly top grades and test scores (Steven and Baker, 1987; as cited Ablard and Parker, 1997). These extremely high expectations of perfectionist parents make pressure on students and it leads anxiety about their performance (Sigel, 1987; Ablard and Parker, 1997). Children who has performance goal parents fear that their parents cannot satisfied by their success, grades or academic performances and they start to serve some risk characteristic for their academic performance like high expectation from themselves, doubt about action and over concern about unsuccessfulness and anxiety (Hewitt and Flett, 1992; as cited Ablard and Parker, 1997).Generally high expectation can help to be successful but if these expectations are extremely unrealistic, it can leads to some social and emotional problems (Blank, 1995; as cited Ablard and Parker, 1997). These disorders that can be performance anxiety, procrastination and underachievement appear (Hewitt, Flett et al., 1992; as cited Ablard and Parker, 1997).
It can be said that there are lots of research about relationship between different types of perfectionism and students’ academic performances but this researches are not completely adequate. Their limitations should be minimized. Results can be improved by applying longitudinal data for procrastination or other problems. Also other factors that can be affect the results like demographic factors, statistical analysis or environment that students state in should be considered by researchers to be more reliable finding and solutions.
References
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