Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Self-Discrepancy Theory

Self-Discrepancy Theory

One influential perspective on what motivates people's behavior is detailed in Tory Higgin's self-discrepancy theory (Higgins, 1987). He proposed that people hold disagreeing internal representations of themselves that lead to different emotional states.

Personality Disorders: Dependent and Obsessive-Compulsive

Personality Disorders: Dependent and Obsessive-Compulsive

Dependent personality disorder and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder are two separate psychological conditions that influence behavior, relationships, and overall life functioning. Though both involve maladaptive behaviors, their core characteristics and motivations differ significantly.
Dependent Personality Disorder
Dependent personality disorder is characterized by an excessive reliance on others to manage various aspects of life. Individuals with this disorder often struggle with...

Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification

Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification

Social psychologists have documented that feeling good about ourselves and maintaining positive self-esteem is a powerful motivator of human behavior (Tavris & Aronson, 2008). In the United States, members of the predominant culture typically think very highly of themselves and view themselves as good people who are above average on many desirable traits (Ehrlinger, Gilovich, & Ross, 2005). Often, our behavior, attitudes, and beliefs are affected when we experience a threat to our...

Self-Evaluation Maintenance Model

Self-Evaluation Maintenance Model

The Self-Evaluation Maintenance (SEM) model offers a psychological framework to understand how individuals’ self-esteem is influenced by the achievements of others, particularly those with whom they share close personal bonds. The SEM model operates when personal rather than social identity guides individuals. Central to this model is the notion that individuals have an inherent desire to preserve a favorable self-image, which is continuously shaped by interpersonal comparisons and...

Self-Discrepancy and Its Effects

Self-Discrepancy and Its Effects

Self-discrepancy theory explains how people compare their actual self to their ideal and ought selves and how mismatches between these self-guides can lead to emotional distress. Developed by E. Tory Higgins, the theory distinguishes among three components of self-concept: the actual self, the ideal self, and the ought self. These refer respectively to how individuals perceive themselves, how they aspire to be, and how they believe they are obligated to be. Emotional well-being, self-esteem,...

Protecting Self-Esteem

Protecting Self-Esteem

Self-esteem, a central component of psychological well-being, is actively maintained through various cognitive and behavioral strategies. Individuals employ specific mechanisms to preserve a positive self-concept and mitigate threats to their self-worth, particularly in contexts involving social evaluation or personal feedback. Four primary techniques are commonly used to sustain self-esteem.Manipulating AppraisalsOne prominent strategy involves manipulating appraisals from others. Individuals...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

The value of focusing on psychosocial dysfunction rather than categorical disorders: Commentary on Caspi et al. (2026).

Journal of psychopathology and clinical science·2026

Same author

Changes in alcohol expectancy activation patterns precede onset of alcohol use in children.

Psychology of addictive behaviors : journal of the Society of Psychologists in Addictive Behaviors·2026

Same author

Testing the robustness of daily associations of affect with alcohol and cannabis use.

Journal of psychopathology and clinical science·2026

Same author

Learning Health Systems and Substance Use Care Cascade Achievement Among Justice-Involved Youth: A Cluster-Randomized Stepped-Wedge Clinical Trial.

JAMA network open·2026

Same author

Alcohol and cannabis use predicted by affect-urgency interactions in everyday life.

Clinical psychological science : a journal of the Association for Psychological Science·2026

Same author

Racial Media Microaggressions: Impact on Black Adolescent Mental and Behavioral Health.

OTJR : occupation, participation and health·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 1, 2026

Exploring the Neural Correlates of Cognitive Reappraisal in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Using Task-based Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Exploring the Neural Correlates of Cognitive Reappraisal in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Using Task-based Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Published on: March 14, 2025

Clarifying the construct of perfectionism.

Agnes M Stairs¹, Gregory T Smith, Tamika C B Zapolski

¹University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506 0044, USA.

|June 14, 2011

Summary

Perfectionism research is complex due to varied definitions. This study identified nine core personality constructs underlying perfectionistic behavior, creating a new measurement tool for clarity.

More Related Videos

Errors as a Means of Reducing Impulsive Food Choice

Errors as a Means of Reducing Impulsive Food Choice

Published on: June 5, 2016

Signal Attenuation as a Rat Model of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Signal Attenuation as a Rat Model of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Published on: January 9, 2015

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 1, 2026

Exploring the Neural Correlates of Cognitive Reappraisal in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Using Task-based Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Exploring the Neural Correlates of Cognitive Reappraisal in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Using Task-based Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Published on: March 14, 2025

Errors as a Means of Reducing Impulsive Food Choice

Errors as a Means of Reducing Impulsive Food Choice

Published on: June 5, 2016

Signal Attenuation as a Rat Model of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Signal Attenuation as a Rat Model of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Published on: January 9, 2015

Area of Science:

Psychology
Personality Science
Psychometrics

Background:

Perfectionism is linked to various outcomes, but its definition and measurement are inconsistent.
Existing scales for perfectionism use diverse items, leading to conceptual ambiguity.
Clarifying the underlying personality constructs of perfectionism is crucial for research and practice.

Purpose of the Study:

To identify and define the specific unidimensional personality constructs that constitute perfectionistic behavior.
To develop a reliable and valid measure for assessing these underlying constructs.
To enhance the conceptual clarity and measurement precision of perfectionism.

Main Methods:

Trained raters sorted items from existing perfectionism measures into nine distinct dimensions.
Exploratory factor analysis was used to identify underlying factors.
Confirmatory factor analysis on an independent sample validated the proposed structure.

Main Results:

A 9-scale, 61-item measure, the Measure of Constructs Underlying Perfectionism (MUP), was developed.
The nine scales demonstrated internal consistency and temporal stability.
The MUP scales showed theoretically meaningful differential associations with other personality measures.

Conclusions:

The Measure of Constructs Underlying Perfectionism provides a clearer, multidimensional assessment of perfectionism.
This research clarifies the personality structure of perfectionism, aiding future research and clinical applications.
The findings support a more nuanced understanding of perfectionism beyond a single monolithic construct.