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The psychology of perfectionism: An introduction

Stoeber, Joachim (2018) The psychology of perfectionism: An introduction. In: Stoeber, Joachim, ed. The psychology of perfectionism: Theory, research, applications. Routledge, London, pp. 3-16. (KAR id:59772)

Abstract

Perfectionism is a multidimensional personality disposition characterized by striving for flawlessness and setting exceedingly high standards of performance accompanied by overly critical evaluations of one’s behavior. Perfectionism is a complex characteristic. It comes in different forms and has various aspects. This chapter has a dual purpose: It aims to serve as an introduction to “The Psychology of Perfectionism” (the edited book you are holding in your hands) and an introduction to the psychology of perfectionism (what the book is about). To these aims, I first present a brief history of perfectionism theory and research. Then I introduce the two-factor theory of perfectionism--differentiating perfectionistic strivings and perfectionistic concerns--with the intention to provide readers with a conceptual framework that may serve as a “compass” guiding them through the different models and measures of perfectionism they will encounter in this book. Going beyond the two-factor model, I next introduce three aspects of perfectionism that are important for a comprehensive understanding of perfectionism: other-oriented perfectionism, perfectionistic self-presentation, and perfectionism cognitions. The chapter will conclude with a brief overview of the organization of the book and the contents of the individual chapters.

Item Type: Book section
Uncontrolled keywords: perfectionism; personality; individual differences
Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Human and Social Sciences > School of Psychology
Depositing User: Joachim Stoeber
Date Deposited: 04 Jan 2017 11:42 UTC
Last Modified: 05 Nov 2024 10:52 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/59772 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

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