Influence of perfectionism on short-term anxious reactivity to a social-evaluative stressor

This laboratory study examines the unique influences of the superordinate personality dimensions perfectionistic concerns and perfectionistic strivings on change in state anxiety elicited by a social-evaluative stressor. A sample of 85 adult participants completed perfectionism measures and a Big Five inventory. The following day, the same participants attended a laboratory session, during which they were unexpectedly requested to prepare and deliver a speech. Participants completed a measure of state anxiety upon arrival at the lab and after the speech task was introduced. Results revealed that the perfectionistic concerns dimension was uniquely associated with post-stressor state anxiety, after controlling for neuroticism, perfectionistic strivings, and pre-stressor state anxiety. Perfectionistic strivings were not uniquely related to an increase in state anxiety and did not attenuate the association between perfectionistic concerns and anxious reactivity. These results are most consistent with the notion that a subtype of pure evaluative concerns perfectionism is associated with heightened anxious reactivity to pertinent stressors.

Automated summary

This study examined the unique influences of perfectionistic concerns and perfectionistic strivings on anxiety reactivity to social-evaluative stressors. The results showed that perfectionistic concerns were uniquely associated with anxiety reactivity, while perfectionistic strivings were not related to an increase in anxiety reactivity.