Perfectionism Reading Flashcards
Perfectionism is a core ——– factor that underscores many psychological, physical, relational, and acheivement problems.
VULNERABILITY
Personality style that people vulnerable for other probelms and disorders.
What were the two powerful influences that guided Hewitt’s work on perfectionism?
1) Psychodynamic/interpersonal theoretical orientation
- taught to appreciate the layered complexity of people at U of Sask.
- combo of psychodynamic and interpersonal theories developed a dynamic-rational individual and group treatment approach for perfectionism.
2) Expereince working on a suicide project at UBC
- Acted as a reminder that he is always studying people, not numbers.
- He pushes for interacting with research subjects, in addition to empirically researching them
Dr. Hewitt’s research over the years has had 4 streams. What are these streams?
- trying to describe what perfectionism involves
- what components of perfectionism are associated with dysfunctions and the disorders associated with perfectionism
- Developing conceptual models of how/why perfectionism develops
- The development of treatment for perfectionistic behaviour
What is the Comprehensive Model of Perfectionistic Behaviour (CMPB)?
Descriptive model to aid in understanding perfectionism.
CMPB views perfectionism as:
1) a broad multifarious personality/relational style
2) A way of being or exisiting in the world
Views perfectionism is a multilevel personality style with 3 major interacting components (trait level, the other-relational/interpersonal level, and the self-relational/intrapersonal level).
What did the CMPB originate from?
From the clinical field where patient’s behaviour, as well as extant writings and case studies, contributed to the CMPB development.
What are the 3 trait dimensions within the trait level of the CMPB?
*people can score high on all or just one of these dimentions
1. Self-oritented Perfectionism = involves the requirement of absolute perfectionism of the self
- Feel they are never good enough
2. Other-oritented Perfecionsm = externally directed trait involving expectations and requirements for others.
- They do not need to be perfect, but OTHERS need to be perfect
- Directs demands for perfection towards people/groups in their environment
3. Socially Prescribed Perfectionism = reflects the beleif that others demand or expect perfection of the self.
Can self-oriented and other-orientated perfectionism occur at the same time?
Yes they can!
Wanting themselves to be perfect (self-orientated) and others to be perfect (other-orientated)
What can happen when other-oriented perfectionsts reuqire others to be perfect (in terms of boundaries)
By requiring others to be perfect, they may vicariously experience perfectionistic strivings through others as PROXIES for the self, causing a diffusion of boundaries between the self and others.
What is the motivation behind socially prescribed perfectionism?
The motivation is relationally driven (needs of securing acceptance and love and avoid rejection)
Relational motives are also evident in self and other-oriented perfectionism!
What is perfectionism self-presentation?
It is the process of displaying one’s purported perfection or concealing one’s imperfections
Causes the perfectionist to feel inauthentic (like an imposter), and anxiously aware and sensitive to other’s impressions of them –> may
avoid others or think other people are unrelatable or unlikeable
Reflects the drive to appear perfect to others (outward appearance of flawlessness), not the individuals needing to be perfect
(the interpersonal level of the CMPB)
What are the 3 facets of perfectionistic self-presentation at the interpersonal level of the CMPB?
1. Perfectionistic Self-Promotion = activiely promoting a perfect image to themselves and others.
- View interactions with others as competitive areanas where connection is sought by coming out on top!
2. Non display of imperfection = avoidance or hiding of any BEHAVIOUR that could be judged by others as imperfect
3. Non disclosure of imperfection = focus on avoiding VERBALLY disclosing imperfections to others.
- May be engaging interpersonally, but others will leave the encounter feeling that they do not know the person.
The facet of perfectionistic self-promotion is associated with what type of personality style?
Narcissism!
As people with perfectionistic self-promotion are extremely self-focused and respond to convos in a self-focused way.
Explain the intrapersonal/self-relational component of the CMPB?
Involves automatic cognitive processes and inner dialogue centred on the need to be or seem perfect (ex. “I need to be perfect”), and on self-recriminations (ex. I am such an idiot).
This component can present as more state-like, where these aspects of perfectionism are triggered in different contexts (like situations of perceived failures)
A self-critical and demanding inner dialogue is intertwined with feelings and behaviours toward the self (feelings of disgust or behaviours like self-neglect, self-harm, or self-sabotage).
Label each of these outcomes to a problem associated with perfectionism
- Psychological/psychiatric problems
- Relationship problems
- Physical problems
- Achievement problems
What is one of the worst outcomes of socially prescribed eprfectionism?
Sucicide behaviours (idealation, risk, and attempts) in adults and children
Hence, perfectionism has direct effects causing psychological, physical, relationship, and achievement problems, but also indirect effects by ————–
influencing whether the perfectionist seeks out or benefits from treatment!!
Which also contributes to the problems.
Rather than describing perfectionism as a transdiagonistic variable that underlines many DSM diagnoses, Hewitt prefers what term intead?
“core vulnerability factor”
Because perfectionism is associated wtih many maladaptive outcomes (not just diagnosis from the DSM perspective)
Hewitt does not think perfectionism should be a diagnosis in the DSM as there is too many issues of cormobidity.
What is the Perfectionism Social Disconnection Model (PSDM)?
Dynamic-relational model that includes 2 parts:
(1) addressing the relational context of the development of perfectionism and (2) addressing the maintenance roles perfectionism has in creating negative outcomes
Explain the development portion of the PSDM.
Adresses where perfection comes from/how it arises
Model puts emphasis on interpersonal dynamics and evidence of attachment theory to look at perfectionism developing from an EARLY RELATIONAL CONTEXT.
Development of perfectionism comes from asynchrony in the caregiver relationship, that creates attachment anxiety that is moderated by constitutional factors (ex. An anxious temperament).
Aysnchorony causes child view others as unavailable and critical, so if they are perfect, no one will critize me and I will be accepted
What is asynchrony?
Asynchrony = failures between the child’s needs and caregiver’s responses, that creates conditions for perfectionism to develop.
These unmet needs that develop towards perfectionism are:
(1) the need to belong
(2) the need for self-esteem.
These needs are central to early development and can continue to be unmet throughout one’s life.
Hence → perfectionism evolves to prevent abandonment and promote acceptance, as well as repairing a sense of protection to bolster ego strength and self-cohesion.
Explain the maintenance and cause portion of the PSDM
Suggests that perfectionism creates objective AND subjective social disconnection, which causes vulnerability for adverse mental/physical health outcomes and relationship and achievement problems.
Subjective social disconnection = perception that others are not interested in connecting, higher rejection sensitivity, and belief that others are overly judgemental
Objective social disconnection = the reality that other people often avoid perfectionists due to their off-putting behaviours (ex. coldness, passive-aggressiveness, hostility, too much reassurance seeking, etc).
PDSM asserts that both subjective and objective social disconnection contribute to feelings of alienation/rejection
What might be the motive of social disconnection arising from perfectionistic behaviour?
To protect the individual from intimate connections that the perfectionist thinks will result in rejection.
This is why it is clinically useful to consider how one’s perfectionistic features may represent:
(1) trying to seek acceptance and also an effort to (2) avoid anticipated rejection.
PSDM theorizes that subjective and objective social disconnection created from perfectionism interferes with the establishment of the —— ———.
Theraputic Alliance!
Perfectionistic patients project emotions/relational expectations stemming from social disconnection onto the therapist.
Ex. would make them hesitant to disclose information due to fear of rejection
Ex. therapists can disconnect from patients due to their trait perfectionism dimensions
Hewitt reported that undergrads with elevated socially prescribed perfectionism had higher —— ——-, which manifests the effects of socially prescribed perfectionism on depression symptoms and social anxiety.
rejection sensititivty
*acts as evidence for the PSDM
What does Dr. Hewitt’s psychodynamic approach to perfectionism hope to achieve?
Hopes to honour the complexity of the person and the underpinnings of behaviour in his models and treatment
(where behaviours come from, what is driving the behaviour, and what purpose the behaviour serves, etc.)
Canadian psychologists have played a huge role in ———- research.
Perfectionism
Canadian researchers published two of the first empirical works on perfectionism in 1986.
What is the basis of Hewitt’s treatment for perfectionism?
FORMULATION DRIVEN, based on the idiosyncratic model of how a person’s perfectionism arose and its purpose
Treatment is informed by relational and dynamic ideas rather than a diagnosis, aligning with a psychoanalytic approach!
What does Hewitt’s treatment model for perfectionism focus on?
The relational basis of human behaviour and the false promise of perfectionistic behaviour to secure needs like belongingness and self-esteem
Aims to develop awareness of relational dynamics and interpersonal patterns that demonstrate the need for perfection
This model emphasizes the connection between perfectionism and interpersonal relationships.
What is the initial step in Hewitt’s treatment process?
A complete psychodiagnostic assessment and discussion of formulation with the patient
Helps identify disocnnection/distress as consequences of perfectionistic behaviour
This step involves understanding the individual’s story and how their perfectionism developed.
What is necessary for change to occur in patients undergoing treatment for perfectionism?
While formulation is not enough to create change –> patients must connect better to the formulation over time to consider more flexible/adaptive ways of relating to others
This gradual connection supports the development of healthier interpersonal relationships.
What is the overarching goal of treatment for perfectionism?
To shift the patient’s interpersonal position to be more flexible in accepting the self and others
Emphasis is placed especially on self-acceptance and trust.
What role does the therapist play in the perfectionism treatment process?
The therapist observes here-and-now microevents and uses transference and countertransference to foster understanding
This focus on immediate relational dynamics enhances empathy and insight into the patient’s behaviour.
What were the findings of the two studies on the effectiveness of Hewitt’s treatment?
- Self-report patients showed improvement in all components of perfectionism at follow-up.
- Similar findings found above but with informant reports of close others.
Improvements were noted to continue throughout the follow-up period.
