Perfectionism has long been recognized as an important personality trait that has a significant impact on emotional and social well-being. More recently, it has been recognized that there is a stylistic aspect to perfectionism that focuses on a desire to appear perfect. This perfectionistic self-presentation, and in particular, the desire for concealment of imperfections, has been related to psychopathology in past research. However, it is proposed that perfectionistic self-presentation presents a particular concern from a clinical perspective because of it's indirect effects on pathology; a desire to conceal imperfections is especially problematic to the extent that it impacts the experience of therapy and the therapy relationship. The current study examined the cognitive, affective/physiological, and behavioral manifestations of perfectionistic self-presentation in a clinical sample. Ninety clinical subjects completed self-report measures of perfectionistic self-presentation, trait perfectionism, impression management, mood, appraisals, and self-handicapping. A brief structured assessment interview that included a discussion of past mistakes, was conducted by trained clinical interviewers. Physiological monitors recorded heart rate and skin conductance level throughout the interview, and the interview was videotaped. Post-interview measures of mood, appraisals, and self-handicapping, were also completed. Results at the bivariate level showed that the self-protective dimensions of perfectionistic self-presentation were associated with more distress both prior to and following the interview, higher heart rate and greater change in heart rate when discussing mistakes (and greater skin conductance for men), greater claims of disability from self-handicaps, and appraisals of the interviewer as both threatening (wanting more than the participant could provide) and disappointed following the interview. Regression analyses showed that the desire to avoid disclosing imperfections was a unique predictor of appraisals of threat over and above demographics, trait perfectionism, and other measures of distress (interaction anxiety and depression) and impression management, and of appraisals of the interviewer as disappointed following the interview, over and above demographics and trait perfectionism. The block change score for perfectionistic self-presentation predicting interviewer satisfaction was marginally significant over and above emotional distress and impression managment. The desire to avoid displaying imperfections was a unique predictor of lower threat appraisals. Perfectionistic self-presentation also predicted higher heart rate when discussing errors, over and above demographics and other measures of distress and impression management, and greater change in heart rate from relaxation; this relation held when controlling for demographics, trait perfectionism, and emotional distress and impression management. Perfectionistic self-presentation did not predict defensive behaviors and was not a unique predictor of self-reported negative affect. The results are discussed in terms of the implications for therapy and the therapeutic alliance. / Arts, Faculty of / Psychology, Department of / Graduate

The present study aimed to investigate the role of self-oriented and socially prescribed perfectionism in conjunction with stressful life experiences in suicidal ideation, potential, and prior attempts among depressed adolescents. Self-oriented perfectionism involves striving to meet one's own unrealistically high standards and evaluating one's performance stringently. Socially prescribed perfectionism involves the perception that significant others have very high expectations for oneself, which the perfectionist strives to meet. This study examined correlations between these perfectionism dimensions and suicidal ideation, potential or risk, and prior attempts in addition to investigating whether either perfectionism dimension accounted for additional variance in suicide outcomes beyond the established risk factors depression and hopelessness. Also examined was a moderational model whereby dimensions of perfectionism were hypothesized to interact with stress to predict suicide outcomes. A sample of 55 adolescents (41 females, 14 males) who met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - Fourth Edition (DSM-IV; APA, 1994) criteria for Major Depression (65.5%), Dysthymia (16.4%), or Depressive Disorder NOS (18.2%) completed self-report measures of perfectionism, daily hassles, depression, hopelessness, suicidal ideation, suicide potential, and prior suicidal attempts. Additionally, adolescents and one of their parents completed a diagnostic interview and a stress interview measuring major stressful experiences. Results revealed that self-oriented perfectionism was not correlated with any aspect of suicide; however, socially prescribed perfectionism was associated with suicide potential. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that self-oriented perfectionism did not account for unique variance in suicide outcomes, whereas, socially prescribed perfectionism predicted additional variance in suicide potential once depression and hopelessness were controlled. Regarding the moderational model, both self-oriented and socially prescribed perfectionism were found to interact with aspects of stress to predict suicidality. More specifically, self-oriented perfectionism interacted with daily hassles to predict suicide potential/risk. Socially prescribed perfectionism interacted with subjective and objective ratings of major stressful experiences and with daily hassles to predict suicide potential/risk. Neither perfectionism dimension interacted with stress to predict suicidal ideation or prior suicide attempts. Taken together, these findings suggest that among depressed adolescents, socially prescribed perfectionism is correlated with suicide risk and predicts unique variance in this suicide outcome beyond other established risk factors. Additionally, both selforiented and socially prescribed perfectionism act as vulnerability factors that are predictive of suicide potential when adolescents experience elevated levels of stress. As these relationships were apparent even after controlling for the contributions of depression and hopelessness to suicide, the results of this study highlight the importance of considering perfectionistic tendencies when evaluating suicide risk among youth. / Arts, Faculty of / Psychology, Department of / Graduate

abstract: Academic deviance is a potentially detrimental behavior for students and universities alike in that it causes credit to be given to individuals where it is not due. Furthermore, it is a common occurrence, with around half of college students admitting to engaging in this behavior at least once. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between perfectionism, strain, and academic deviance. In doing this, this study uses data from a primary data collection effort in Arizona State University, with a final sample of 696 students, to answer three research questions: Are there differences in the likelihood of engaging in academic deviance by maladaptive perfectionists, adaptive perfectionists, and non-perfectionists? Are there differences in the perceptions of the wrongness of academic deviance between maladaptive perfectionists, adaptive perfectionists, and non-perfectionists? Are there differences in how context dependent maladaptive perfectionists, adaptive perfectionists, and non-perfectionists view academic deviance the wrongness of academic deviance? Ordered logistic regression are used to access these research questions. Results suggest that neither perfectionism nor strain were a significant factor in determining the likelihood that a participant would engage in an academically deviant behavior, or how wrong they believed that behavior to be. However, perfectionism did seem to have a mild impact on how context dependent individuals felt the wrongness of their behaviors, meaning that if the cause of the strain was due to the professor’s actions, students viewed academic deviance as less wrong, and self-control explained at least part of this effect. Strain, on the other hand, did not have a significant effect. Overall, the results suggest some legitimacy to the use of general strain theory to explain the potential relationships, given the relationship between perfectionism and context dependency. Additionally, the results support policy implications designed to reduce maladaptive thoughts and subsequently academic deviance, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Future research should examine the link between perfectionism and other types of academic strain. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Criminology and Criminal Justice 2020

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The fundamental need to belong is considered one of the most basic human requirements, and universally motivates human behaviour. When this need to belong is not met, it increases the risk of mental health problems like depression, which was of interest in this dissertation. Due to the psychological consequences of not being accepted by others, humans are very attuned to perceived threats to belonging and have developed types of defense mechanisms to protect themselves against social exclusion. One such defense mechanism is rejection sensitivity, and the role of rejection sensitivity as it relates to depression was the underlying theme of this dissertation. Along with rejection sensitivity, there exist external and internal factors that serve as threats to belonging, and which are associated with depression. Two of these factors, rejection (an interpersonal factor) and perfectionism (an intrapersonal factor) were examined in relation to depression. Study 1 focused on peer rejection and the developmental pathways involved in its relation to rejection sensitivity, depression, and aggression in adolescence. Results showed that rejection and rejection sensitivity were preceded by either depression or aggression across adolescence, and although depression initiated the cascade leading to rejection sensitivity, there was a bidirectional relation across late adolescence as rejection sensitivity also predicted future depression. Study 2 focused on two types of perfectionism (i.e., self-oriented and socially prescribed), including the developmental pathways associated with their relation to rejection sensitivity and depression in adolescence. Socially prescribed perfectionism was directly related to future depression and rejection sensitivity mediated the relation between self-oriented perfectionism and depression. Depression initiated the cascade leading to rejection sensitivity and supported a bidirectional relation across late adolescence. Study 3 also focused on perfectionism, but cross-sectionally in young adults, and examined three types of perfectionism (i.e., self-oriented, socially prescribed, and other-oriented). Rejection sensitivity and socially prescribed perfectionism were positively related to depression, and other-oriented perfectionism was negatively related to depression; however, self-oriented perfectionism did not contribute significantly to depression. Contrary to what was predicted, rejection sensitivity was not a significant moderator in the relation between perfectionism and depression. Overall, rejection sensitivity, a defense mechanism against threats to the need to belong, played a significant role in the development and maintenance of depression in the absence of actual rejection, as well as in conjunction with specific types of perfectionism.

BACKGROUND: Health issues facing university students have been an area of increasing concern, with the frequency of anxiety and depression-related disorders rising significantly over the past few years. One characteristic that has been given increasing attention is perfectionism and its contribution to compromised mental functioning. Student health has generally been found to be poor compared to their working counterparts; however, the prevalence and influence of pain among university students still remains misunderstood. This study aims to investigate the co-occurrence of pain and mental health problems, specifically the role of perfectionism, in young adults, aged 18-26, attending college or university within the United States. METHODS: 105 University students from across the United States were recruited to participate in an online survey. Frequency of pain complaints, prevalence of common body areas of pain, and intensity of pain were assessed. Pain behavior, pain interference, anxiety, depression, and self-efficacy were assessed by validated PROMIS measures. Trait dimensions of perfectionism were assessed and analyzed in relation to the other characteristics being evaluated. Group differences between pain groups (no pain vs. pain present; both chronic and non-chronic pain) were assessed using independent samples t-tests. Significant associations between measured variables were determined using bivariate correlations. RESULTS: More than half of the sample displayed clinical levels of anxiety. 76% of the sample reported feeling pain in at least one area of their body, with 72% of the pain group experiencing chronic pain. The pain group had greater anxiety, depression, and pain interference when compared to the pain-free group. From the trait dimensions of perfectionism, Self-Oriented Perfectionism and Socially-Prescribed Perfectionism were positively correlated with anxiety, depression, and pain interference. Only 6% of the sample reported being registered with any school support services. CONCLUSION: This pilot study demonstrated a high prevalence of pain, anxiety, and perfectionism traits in university students, while bringing their low engagement with support resources into recognition. Results suggest the need to provide additional comprehensive resources and support for university students, especially those coping with pain issues. Further research should examine the relationship between pain, perfectionism, and mental health in order to implement appropriate interventions for this vulnerable population. / 2022-06-04T00:00:00Z

Thesis advisor: David Rasmussen / The debate between political liberalism and liberal perfectionism has taken center stage in contemporary literature on liberal political theory. According to political liberalism, the most sensible thing to do for political philosophy is to apply “the principle of toleration” to itself in order to arrive at a public conception of justice that is independent of controversial moral, philosophical, and religious doctrines. According to liberal perfectionism, basic liberal ideals and principles are compatible with the view that the state should direct citizens to live good or meaningful lives, and discourage them from pursuing bad or worthless ones. Both political liberalism and liberal perfectionism have developed substantial arguments to support their positions, and the debate between them has helped to shape the intellectual landscape of contemporary political philosophy. At the periphery of the mainstream liberal discourse, there has been growing interest in establishing and maintaining at least some liberal and democratic ideals and institutions in the burgeoning and increasingly pluralistic region of East Asia. One of the recent developments has led to sophisticated attempts to bring out the political side of Confucianism, the dominant source of cultural influence in the region. As some Confucian scholars have pointed out, East Asian societies, like their Western counterparts, are under the influence of reasonable pluralism, which diversifies and even divides the population in a region that used to be highly homogeneous. Thus, a plausible political theory and a timely model of democracy for East Asia must reflect this crucial change. This dissertation aims to contribute to both the internal debate in liberalism and the application of political liberalism to the process of democratization in East Asia. In my view, political liberalism offers the most promising vision for liberal democracy, and it can be defended against three perfectionist objections. First, the objection that the political conception of justice cannot be separated from morality in the comprehensive sense will be defused by introducing what I call the public conception of morality. Second, the objection that political liberalism’s asymmetric treatment of the right and the good is problematic will be addressed by defending the distinction between foundational and justificatory disagreements. Third, the objection that Rawls’ inclusion of epistemic elements in the concept of reasonableness necessarily makes political liberalism perfectionist and weakens the political liberal account of respect for persons will be defeated by revising the understanding of epistemic reasonableness. Beyond Rawls’ original intention to limit the scope of political liberalism to only existing and well-ordered liberal democracies, political liberalism has the potential to inspire and contribute to democratic establishment and improvement in East Asia. Specifically, I will first demonstrate that both comprehensive and moderate approaches to political Confucianism suffer from practical and theoretical difficulties. Then, with the support of political liberalism, I will propose a model of democracy that has a multivariate structure for citizens to come to terms with democracy in their own ways, a neutral state to ensure the establishment and stability of democracy, and an active public role for Confucianism to prevent it from being confined to the private sphere. This model represents a more promising future for democracy in East Asia. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2017. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Philosophy.

Previous research has demonstrated that students in university honors programs may be distinct from their non-honors counterparts. To further examine these differences and the overall experiences of honors students, this thesis utilized a Study 1/Study 2 mixed methodology design to examine the experiences of honors students within East Tennessee State University’s University Honors Scholars program. Study One quantitatively examined the differences between honors and non-honors students’ levels of perfectionism, imposter syndrome, and academic and social competitiveness. Findings from Study One inspired Study Two, which qualitatively examined honors students’ experiences with perfectionism, uncovering the sources and effects of their perfectionistic behaviors. Combined, these findings indicate that not only do honors students experience higher levels of perfectionism than non-honors students, likely stemming from the expectations and standards held by the honors program, but also that their perfectionistic behaviors are overall maladaptive and are used to avoid failure rather than in the pursuit of success.

Parenting practices greatly influence child behavior. It is important to study the relationship between parenting practices and child behavior in specific religious contexts. Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) have not been extensively studied in the psychological literature despite there being a relatively large number of LDS individuals in the U.S. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of religiosity on parenting practices and child behavior outcomes in an LDS sample. The influence of perfectionism on religiosity and parenting practices was also studied. The relationship between parents’ interpretation of the bible and their view on God’s involvement in their parenting was also examined. The Qualtrics Online Sample Tool was used to recruit participants for this study. The 210 participants completed an online survey. The results indicated that a more literal interpretation of the bible was associated with a perception of increased involvement from God in one’s role as a parent and increased religiosity. The perception of increased involvement from God in one’s role as a parent was also associated with increased religiosity. Higher levels of parental religious beliefs and spiritual experiences had a positive impact on parenting practices and child behavior. However, religious behavior had a negative impact on parenting practices and child behavior. High levels of perfectionism were associated with more effective parenting practices in individuals high in religious belief and spiritual experiences while high levels of perfectionism led to less effective parenting practices in individuals high in religious behavior. Given the overall high levels of ineffective parenting practices and child disruptive behavior that were reported in the sample, encouraging LDS parents to attend parenting classes may be an appropriate recommendation.

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