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Cognitive Links Between Fear Of Failure And Perfectionism

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Abstract

This study investigated links between three forms of perfectionism and beliefs associated with fear of failure (FF). College students (N = 372) enrolled in physical activity classes completed the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale and Performance Failure Appraisal Inventory in a single session. After controlling for other forms of perfectionism, only socially prescribed perfectionism (SPP) was strongly associated with beliefs that failure led to aversive interpersonal consequences (i.e., important others losing interest, upsetting important others). Other-oriented perfectionism (OOP) exhibited a weak negative relation with beliefs that failure would lead to devaluation of one’s self-estimate; individuals who held the highest standards for others’ behavior had the weakest beliefs that failure would lead to them devaluing their self-estimate. Self-oriented perfectionism (SOP) was not associated with any beliefs that failure led to aversive consequences; however, when SOP and OOP were simultaneously elevated, they contributed positively to fears of experiencing shame and embarrassment (above and beyond main effects of SPP). Collectively these findings indicated that FF was not ubiquitous with all forms of perfectionism because the specific beliefs about the consequences of failure that underlie different forms of perfectionism varied tremendously.

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Author notes

  1. Angela M. Fifer

    Present address: Department of Kinesiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Kinesiology, The Pennsylvania State University, 266 Rec Hall, University Park, PA, 16802, USA

    David E. Conroy, Miranda P. Kaye & Angela M. Fifer

Authors
  1. David E. Conroy
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  2. Miranda P. Kaye
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  3. Angela M. Fifer
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Correspondence to David E. Conroy.

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This research was supported in part by a grant from the College of Health & Human Development, The Pennsylvania State University.

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Conroy, D.E., Kaye, M.P. & Fifer, A.M. Cognitive Links Between Fear Of Failure And Perfectionism. J Rat-Emo Cognitive-Behav Ther 25, 237–253 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10942-007-0052-7

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