| Perfectionism is described in the literature as a global and stable trait. Recent work has shown that perfectionism is not completely stable, and is influenced by different factors including negative affect. Individuals high in perfectionism often experience high levels of negative affect. The primary goal of this study was to examine the impact of induced negative affect on in-the-moment/state perfectionistic thinking and behavior. It was hypothesized that level of trait perfectionism as well as induced negative affect (compared to neutral) would predict situational perfectionism. It was also predicted that there would be a significant interaction effect, such that those with higher trait perfectionism in the negative induction group would provide the responses most consistent with being highly perfectionistic. A total of 88 participants completed the two-day study. On Day 1, they filled out questionnaires assessing level of trait perfectionism, depressive symptoms, concern about control, and self-regulation style. On Day 2, participants received either a neutral or negative film affect induction, based on random assignment, after which all participants completed a challenging task. Questionnaires assessing their in-the-moment perfectionism were given before and after the task. Results showed that the negative affect induction was significantly related to perfectionistic thinking in-the-moment for concerns about own task performance and concerns about evaluation. Results also showed that the maladaptive elements of trait perfectionism predicted situational perfectionism. Behavior, however, did not seem to be impacted by the induction or baseline trait perfectionism. Contrary to prediction, the impact of negative affect on in-the-moment perfectionism was not greatest for those with higher trait perfectionism. Overall results suggest that affective states can impact aspects of in-the-moment perfectionistic thinking. Additional research is warranted to better understand how these affective states impact perfectionistic tendencies, and suggestions are provided for future research. |
