Perfectionism, Achievement, and Affect in Children: A Comparison of Students From Gifted, Arts, and Regular Programs

Abstract

The current study examined the association between dimensions of perfectionism and levels of academic achievement and affect in school-aged children. A sample of 223 students (90 boys, 133 girls) from regular, gifted, and arts programs completed measures of self-oriented and socially prescribed perfectionism, perceived academic competence, and measures of affect (i.e., happiness, sadness, and fear). Participants were in Grade 4 or Grade 7. Achievement scores were taken from the Canadian Achievement Test. There was little evidence of group differences in levels of perfectionism. Also, perfectionism was mostly unrelated to levels of reading and mathematics achievement with the exception of a positive association between mathematics achievement and perfectionism for students in the gifted program. Other analyses showed that self-oriented and socially prescribed perfectionism were associated with elevated levels of fear and sadness. The results suggest that students undergoing perfectionistic pressures to achieve are prone to negative affects such as sadness and anxiety. RésuméLa présente étude a examiné l'association entre les modalités des traits du perfectionnisme, les capacités d'accomplissement scolaire et l'affect d'enfants d'âge

Perfectionism, Coping, Social Support, and Depression in Maltreated Adolescents

“…The existing literature on perfectionism in children and adolescents includes a growing number of studies that have documented the association between perfectionism and psychological distress (see Essau et al 2008;Flett et al 2008;Hewitt et al 1997Hewitt et al , 2002Huggins et al 2008;Stornelli et al 2009). In one of the first studies ever conducted, children rated as depressed by their parents were also rated by their parents as having higher levels of perfectionism and a host of other adjustment difficulties, including psychosomatic problems, impulsive hyperactivity, and learning problems (Leon et al 1980).…”

Perfeccionismo Infantil: Diferencias en Función Del Sexo Y La Edad

“…Basándose en las dimensiones PSP y PAO, son diversos los estudios que han examinado las diferencias entre hombres y mujeres en los niveles de perfeccionismo (Douilliez y Hénot, 2013;Dunn, Gotwals y Dunn, 2005;Dykstra, 2006;Flett, Hewitt, Blankstein y Pickering, 1998;Hankin, Roberts y Gotlib, 1997;Hewitt y Flett, 1991;McCreary et al, 2004;Pamies y Quiles, 2014;Saboonchi y Lundh, 2013;Stornelli, Flett y Hewitt, 2009).…”

“…Similarmente, Douilliez y Hénot (2013), y aplicando también la CAPS a una muestra de 145 franceses entre 10 y 17 años, hallaron que los varones obtuvieron significativamente puntuaciones más altas que sus compañeras de sexo femenino, tanto en PSP como en PAO. Por el contrario, Stornelli et al (2009), comparando 281 alumnos canadienses entre 9 y 14 años (86 estudiantes dotados, 33 estudiantes de un programa de arte y 162 estudiantes de un programa convencional), encontraron que las estudiantes que asistían al programa de arte reportaron un mayor PAO que sus compañe-ros varones y que los estudiantes de ambos sexos que asistían a los otros dos programas. Sin embargo, los autores no informaron sobre diferencias para la dimensión PSP.…”

Children and Adolescent Perfectionism Scale: Validation in a Portuguese Adolescent Sample

“…Perfectionism is associated with psychological distress in clinical and non clinical populations. Several studies have verifi ed the relationship between Perfectionism and psychopathology in children and adolescents: eating disorders (Castro et al, 2004;Castro-Fornieles et al, 2007), depression (Huggins, Davis, Rooney, & Kane, 2008); anxiety and self harm (R. C. O'Connor, Rasmussen, & Hawton, 2010); obsessive compulsive disorder (Libby, Reynolds, Derisley, & Clark, 2004); rumination (Flett, Coulter, Hewitt, & Nepon, 2011); fear and sadness (Stornelli, Flett, & Hewitt, 2009). …”