Perfectionism-related variations in error processing in a task with increased response selection complexity

Abstract

Perfectionists strive for a flawless performance because they are intrinsically motivated to set and achieve high goals (personal standards perfectionism; PSP) and/or because they are afraid to be negatively evaluated by others (evaluative concern perfectionism; ECP). We investigated the differential relationships of these perfectionism dimensions with performance, post-response adaptation, error processing (reflected by two components of the event-related potential: error/correct negativity – Ne/c; error/correct positivity – Pe/c) and error detection. In contrast to previous studies, we employed a task with increased response selection complexity providing more room for perfectionistic dispositions to manifest themselves. Although ECP was related to indicators of increased preoccupation with errors, high-EC perfectionists made more errors than low-EC perfectionists. This observation may be explained by insufficient early error processing as indicated by a reduced Ne/c effect and a lack of post-response adaptation. PSP had a moderating effect on the relationship between ECP and early error processing. Our results provide evidence that pure-EC perfectionists may spend many of their cognitive resources on error-related contents and worrying, leaving less capacity for cognitive control and thus producing a structural lack of error processing.

Narcissism and the perception of failure – evidence from the error-related negativity and the error positivity

“…Other studies, focusing on motivational aspects of error processing showed that the N e varied with the monetary value of errors (Potts, 2011), with the external evaluation of one's performance (Hajcak, Moser, Yeung, & Simons, 2005), with the error context (competitive vs. cooperative context; García Alanis, Baker, Peper, & Chavanon, 2019), and with aversive sounds contingently following errors (Saunders, Milyavskaya, & Inzlicht, 2015). Furthermore, the N e varied with individual differences inherently related to a different error processing motivation like a pronounced behavioural inhibition system (Amodio et al, 2008) and perfectionism (Mattes, Mück, Stahl, 2022a;Stahl, Acharki, Kresimon, Völler, & Gibbons, 2015). Weinberg and colleagues (2012) integrated this diverse literature.…”