Perfectionism is the tendency to set excessively high standards and to evaluate one's own worth based on meeting them. Adaptive perfectionism (high standards with flexibility for error) is distinguished from maladaptive perfectionism (fear of failure, harsh self-criticism, procrastination). The second does not produce quality: it produces paralysis and suffering.
Concept origin
Frost et al. (1990) developed the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale differentiating six dimensions. Hewitt and Flett (1991) distinguished self-oriented, other-oriented, and socially prescribed perfectionism. Research shows maladaptive perfectionism correlates strongly with depression, anxiety, and eating disorders.
How it manifests
- ▸ Standards so high that almost no result is satisfying
- ▸ Difficulty completing tasks for fear they won't be perfect
- ▸ Intense self-criticism when results fall short of the ideal
Therapeutic approach
CBT addresses perfectionism by challenging rigid rules ("I must do it perfectly or it's worthless") and conducting behavioral experiments demonstrating that "good" results produce similar consequences to "perfect" ones. Deliberate exposure to errors reduces sensitivity to imperfection.
Related concepts
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