{"id":61483,"date":"2022-02-11T03:41:37","date_gmt":"2022-02-11T08:41:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/world.edu\/?p=61483"},"modified":"2022-02-11T03:41:37","modified_gmt":"2022-02-11T08:41:37","slug":"perfectionism-doesnt-always-do-good-students-a-favor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/world.edu\/perfectionism-doesnt-always-do-good-students-a-favor\/","title":{"rendered":"Perfectionism doesn’t always do good students a favor"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\nDepending on the circumstances, perfectionism can be an asset or a defect, at school or at work.\u00a0And when it leads to a performance gain, it can be overshadowed by\u00a0wellness issues<\/a>\u00a0.\u00a0Links have thus been established between perfectionism and\u00a0burnout<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0depression<\/a>\u00a0.<\/p>\n

Evidence of these types of negative effects can be found in many contexts, and particularly among young people, in whom perfectionism constitutes a factor of vulnerability to mental disorders.\u00a0However, practical measures, such as courses taught at school, could make a difference.<\/p>\n

Unrealistic goals<\/h2>\n

Perfectionism is a personality trait of setting unrealistic goals and being overly critical.\u00a0Driven both by the desire to prove themselves and by the fear of not being up to the task, perfectionists are often plagued by worry, anxiety and doubt.<\/p>\n

Recent studies glaringly illustrate the fragility of young people in the face of perfectionism.\u00a0One of these\u00a0studies<\/a>\u00a0, conducted by a doctoral student in my research group, looked at the relationship between perfectionism and the use of social networks.<\/p>\n

Covering 135 teenage girls, it found that when these young girls compared their appearance to others, those most likely to report depressive symptoms were the most prone to perfectionism and self-criticism.<\/p>\n

Our research group also conducted an extensive\u00a0analysis of academic literature<\/a>\u00a0on perfectionism in high achievers, which highlighted the different ways in which perfectionism influences these students.\u00a0We have found, from 36 studies carried out in this field, that the doubts, worries and fears characteristic of perfectionism leave traces, even in the most gifted.<\/p>\n

Surprisingly,\u00a0only one study<\/a>\u00a0, with promising conclusions, looked at concrete ways to fight against perfectionism.\u00a0She has shown that a series of lessons on how to deal with pressure, expectations and the harmful aspects of perfectionism can help students.<\/p>\n

Motivated by the absence of work in this field, and convinced that the school and the teachers had a fundamental role to play in preventing the difficulties linked to perfectionism before they manifest themselves, we were interested in what could be done in class to help students with perfectionist tendencies.<\/p>\n

Relationships with others<\/h2>\n

Working with the National Association for Able Children in Education (\u00a0NACE<\/a>\u00a0), an education charity, my colleagues and I have compiled\u00a0resources to help schools<\/a>\u00a0address this issue and share our suggestions with students, teachers and parents.<\/p>\n

Among these resources is the implementation of a simple lesson aimed at improving the level of knowledge with regard to the functioning of perfectionism.\u00a0Our intention was to allow young people to recognize the characteristics of perfectionism, to inform them about the existing aids, and to encourage them to use them, if necessary.<\/p>\n

The lesson in question provides information on perfectionism and offers an activity explaining the difference between perfectionism and the desire to do well<\/p>\n