Perfectionism: A Brief Review

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.

Emotions and failure in academic life: Normalising the experience and building resilience

“…This behaviour is characterised by excessive self-criticism, unrealistic expectations, and perceived pressure to reach unattainable standards. Perhaps unsurprisingly, maladaptive perfectionism is associated with negative outcomes such as low self-esteem, anxiety, rumination, and poor coping strategies (for a review, see Khatibi & Fouladchang, 2016). In our own personal experience, doctoral students and early career researchers seem to be especially vulnerable to succumbing to self-oriented perfectionism, often as a result of perceived expectations about performance.…”