Multidimensions of perfectionism and self concept in school aged children

![CDATA[Perfectionism is a personality construct that involves striving for flawlessness and setting high standards. Self-concept is an individual's self-perceptions of personal attributes and competence. This study investigated the relationship between the multidimensions of perfectionism and self-concept in Australian students. Over 300 children in grades 4 to 6 completed the Child and Adolescent Perfectionism Scale (CAPS, Flett & Hewitt, 1990), the Adaptive/Maladaptive Perfectionism Scale (AMPS, Rice & Preusser, 2002) and Self Description Questionnaire I (SDQ-I, Marsh, 1990). CAPS focused on the sources of perfectionism (i.e., self-oriented perfectionism and socially-prescribed perfectionism). AMPS focused on perfectionistic behavioral tendencies such as sensitivity to mistakes and compulsiveness (i.e., preference for order and persistence). SDQ-I examined academic self-concept, non-academic self-concept and general self-worth. It had been suggested that self-oriented perfectionism and compulsiveness were adaptive, whereas socially-prescribed perfectionism and sensitivity to mistakes were maladaptive. Unlike adult studies, the present results indicated that all perfectionism dimensions were positively correlated with most self-concept domains in school-aged children. Self-oriented perfectionism was significantly associated with academic self-concept. Compulsiveness was significantly associated with both academic and non-academic self-concept. Socially-prescribed perfectionism and sensitivity to mistakes were not significantly associated with general self-worth. Implications of these findings are discussed within the education context.]]