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Abstract

The current study examined the association between dimensions of perfectionism and levels of academic achievement and affect in school-aged children. A sample of 223 students (90 boys, 133 girls) from regular, gifted, and arts programs completed measures of self-oriented and socially prescribed perfectionism, perceived academic competence, and measures of affect (i.e., happiness, sadness, and fear). Participants were in Grade 4 or Grade 7. Achievement scores were taken from the Canadian Achievement Test. There was little evidence of group differences in levels of perfectionism. Also, perfectionism was mostly unrelated to levels of reading and mathematics achievement with the exception of a positive association between mathematics achievement and perfectionism for students in the gifted program. Other analyses showed that self-oriented and socially prescribed perfectionism were associated with elevated levels of fear and sadness. The results suggest that students undergoing perfectionistic pressures to achieve are prone to negative affects such as sadness and anxiety.

La présente étude a examiné l’association entre les modalités des traits du perfectionnisme, les capacités d’accomplissement scolaire et l’affect d’enfants d’âge scolaire. Un échantillon de 223 étudiants (90 garçons, 133 filles) dans des programs réguliers, doués, et d’arts a complété des mesures sur le perfectionnisme orienté vers soi, le perfectionnisme socialement prescrit, la compétence scolaire perçue, et des mesures d’affect (c.-à-d., le bonheur, la tristesse et la crainte). Les participants étaient en quatrième ou septième année. Les résultats sur l’accomplissement ont été obtenus au moyen du Canadian Achievement Test. Il y avait peu d’évidence de différences entre les groupes dans les niveaux de perfectionnisme. La plupart du temps, le perfectionnisme n’était pas lié aux capacités scolaires en lecture et en mathématiques, à l’exception d’une association positive entre les capacités scolaires en mathématiques et le perfectionnisme pour les étudiants dans le program doué. D’autres analyses ont démontré que le perfectionnisme orienté vers soi et le perfectionnisme socialement prescrit étaient associés avec des niveaux élevés de crainte et de tristesse. Les résultats suggèrent que les étudiants qui subissent des pressions perfectionnistes pour réussir sont enclins à vivre des affects négatifs comme la tristesse et l’anxiété.

Keywords

perfectionism achievement affect anxiety sadness gifted

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Perfectionism,Achievement,and Affect in Children: A Comparison of Students From Gifted,Arts,and Regular Programs

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