Perfectionism: does it help or hinder one's feedback learning performance? The present study investigated the relationship between perfectionism and feedback learning, and if reward sensitivity...Show morePerfectionism: does it help or hinder one's feedback learning performance? The present study investigated the relationship between perfectionism and feedback learning, and if reward sensitivity plays a mediating role in this relationship. We wanted to examine whether adaptive perfectionism (AP) and maladaptive perfectionism (MP) predict differences in feedback learning, tending more towards positive or negative feedback learning. Furthermore, we examined if this relationship might be influenced by one's sensitivity to different types of feedback: reward and punishment. Participants (N = 113) carried out a probabilistic learning task and completed the Almost Perfect Scale Revised and the Sensitivity to Punishment Sensitivity to Reward questionnaires. We found no differences in feedback learning between adaptive and maladaptive participants. Correspondingly, we also did not find mediating roles for reward and punishment sensitivity. However, we did find a strong significant relationship between maladaptive perfectionism and punishment sensitivity. These results remained unchanged when we carried out an exploratory analysis, using only perfectionistic participants. Because existing literature points towards strong correlations between perfectionism, feedback learning, and reward sensitivity, more research is needed to investigate the links between these constructs.Show less
Early adolescence is a turbulent period in the life of most youth. With the transition from childhood into adolescence, problems such as fear of failure, maladaptive perfectionism and anxiety...Show moreEarly adolescence is a turbulent period in the life of most youth. With the transition from childhood into adolescence, problems such as fear of failure, maladaptive perfectionism and anxiety become increasingly common and prominent. To some degree, these are part of the normal development. However, even subclinical anxiety symptoms negatively affect the lives of many children and adolescents. To improve this, more knowledge is needed on the mechanisms underlying generalised anxiety. This study was the first to investigate the relation between fear of failure, maladaptive perfectionism, and generalised anxiety in early adolescents (aged 9-12 years). These concepts were measured using the short-form Performance Failure Appraisal Inventory, the short-form Child and Adolescent Perfectionism Scale and the Youth Anxiety Measure, respectively. We demonstrated that maladaptive perfectionism partially mediates the relation between fear of failure and generalised anxiety. Fear of failure most likely motivates maladaptive perfectionism, which is in turn a risk factor for generalised anxiety symptoms in early adolescents. The current findings therefore highlight the importance of prevention and intervention efforts aimed at reducing fear of failure and maladaptive perfectionism in early adolescents. This would serve to prevent and/or reduce generalised anxiety and its detrimental consequences both in early adolescence itself and possibly later in life as well.Show less
