campusreview . com . au
NEWS
Being self-critical about not attaining perfection increases the risk of burnout and doesn ’ t protect against stress , anxiety or procrastination .
Great expectations
Study finds excellence , not perfectionism , key to high achievement and wellbeing .
By Wade Zaglas
As Year 12 students across Australia complete their
schooling , a proportion of over-achievers will be setting their expectations high and will likely be fearful about not reaching their perfectionist heights .
The perfectionist syndrome led clinical PhD candidate Ivana Osenk ( under the supervision of Professor Tracey Wade at Flinders University ) to try and better understand the link between perfectionism and academic achievement .
“ Our study suggests we should encourage young students to set healthy high standards and strive for excellence , not perfection ,” Osenk said .
As part of the study , titled ‘ Does Perfectionism or Pursuit of Excellence Contribute to Successful Learning ? A Meta-Analytic Review ’, Osenk analysed 67 peer-reviewed journal articles that focused on 21,272 participants . Through their analysis , the PhD candidate and her co-authors aimed to assess how perfectionism impacted on a number of important factors , including academic performance , academic burnout and stress , procrastination , engagement , test anxiety , satisfaction and learning strategies .
What Osenk ’ s analysis found was significant . While possessing high standards improved both academic outcomes and academic performance , and provided a bulwark against negative outcomes like anxiety , stress and procrastination , anxieties relating to “ falling short of perfection were damaging ”.
“ Our study adds to the evidence that perfectionism is harmful , particularly the feeling of falling short of impossible standards ,” Osenk said .
“ Being self-critical about not attaining perfection increases the risk of burnout and doesn ’ t protect against stress , anxiety or procrastination .”
The study also found a key difference between what are termed “ perfectionist concerns ” and “ perfectionist strivings ”. Although perfectionist concerns such as fear of failure and falling short of one ’ s standards consistently showed negative outcomes for successful learning , the outcomes for perfectionist strivings were “ more varied ”.
For instance , the study concluded that striving for perfection was linked to high academic performance . However , analysis also showed it was ineffective in protecting students against harmful academic outcomes such as procrastination and stress .
“ Some of the articles we examined found striving for perfection may be helpful , but we don ’ t agree with that as a blanket statement ,” Osenk said .
“ We discovered the most helpful thing was having healthy high standards . Traditionally , this has been put in the same bucket as striving for perfection . But our ongoing research shows the two concepts must be distinguished .
“ Striving for perfection may be related to better academic scores on paper in the short-term . But in the long term , perfectionism is neither healthy nor helpful .”
Individuals could therefore be forgiven for thinking that both perfectionism and high standards are harmful , but the study ’ s author disagrees .
“ Having healthy , high standards leaves more space for selfcompassion and flexibility in the face of failure , rather than criticism ,” Osenk said .
“ This means allowing room for imperfection and error , which is common to all of us as humans . Perfection is unattainable .
“ Perfectionism makes young people aim for rigid goals , and sets them up to fear failure , to fear making mistakes and taking risks in their learning , and to be self-critical when perfection isn ’ t attained .
“ We need to encourage students to strive to be the best they can be , rather than wanting to be the ‘ best ’ and chasing an unattainable ideal . One is healthy and helps high achievement . The other can be toxic to both academic outcomes and students ’ mental health .”
Osenk added that previous research indicated that perfectionism has risen among young people over the last few decades and has been linked to anxiety , depression and poor mental health .
The researcher said , “ it ’ s very concerning ” that today ’ s young individuals are placing far too much pressure on themselves – both academically and socially – to “ attain perfect ideals ”.
“ In our future research , we ’ re looking for ways to promote healthy high standards and self-compassion rather than perfectionism . We ’ ve just finished testing our school-based intervention program in high schools across SA , and I ’ m excited to see the outcomes ,” she concluded . ■
7