Cognitive errors as predictors of adaptive and maladaptive perfectionism in children

Cognitive distortions such as dichotomous evaluation of performance, selectively focusing on perceived failures, and discounting successes are proposed to be key maintaining mechanisms in clinical perfectionism, but no existing research has investigated the relationship between perfectionism and cog...

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Main Authors: Davis, Melissa, Wosinski, Nicole
Format: Journal Article
Published: Springer New York LLC 2012
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/36956
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author Davis, Melissa
Wosinski, Nicole
author_facet Davis, Melissa
Wosinski, Nicole
author_sort Davis, Melissa
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Cognitive distortions such as dichotomous evaluation of performance, selectively focusing on perceived failures, and discounting successes are proposed to be key maintaining mechanisms in clinical perfectionism, but no existing research has investigated the relationship between perfectionism and cognitive errors in children. The current study assessed the associations between dimensions of perfectionism as assessed by the Adaptive/Maladaptive Perfectionism Scale (AMPS) and children’s cognitive errors controlling for negative and positive affect to provide information about cognitive features associated with perfectionism in children and construct-related evidence for the AMPS. A non-clinical sample of 204 children completed the AMPS, the Children’s Negative Cognitive Errors Questionnaire, and measures of positive and negative affect. The AMPS sensitivity to mistakes scale was correlated robustly with catastrophizing, overgeneralization, personalizing, and selective abstraction. Cognitive errors were significant predictors of maladaptive perfectionism even after controlling for negative affect. However, cognitive errors did not predict adaptive perfectionism after controlling for positive affect. These findings highlight the role of negative thinking styles in maladaptive perfectionism in children and point to the potential usefulness of interventions that focus jointly on maladaptive perfectionism and negative cognitive styles.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-369562018-12-14T00:52:50Z Cognitive errors as predictors of adaptive and maladaptive perfectionism in children Davis, Melissa Wosinski, Nicole Cognitive distortions such as dichotomous evaluation of performance, selectively focusing on perceived failures, and discounting successes are proposed to be key maintaining mechanisms in clinical perfectionism, but no existing research has investigated the relationship between perfectionism and cognitive errors in children. The current study assessed the associations between dimensions of perfectionism as assessed by the Adaptive/Maladaptive Perfectionism Scale (AMPS) and children’s cognitive errors controlling for negative and positive affect to provide information about cognitive features associated with perfectionism in children and construct-related evidence for the AMPS. A non-clinical sample of 204 children completed the AMPS, the Children’s Negative Cognitive Errors Questionnaire, and measures of positive and negative affect. The AMPS sensitivity to mistakes scale was correlated robustly with catastrophizing, overgeneralization, personalizing, and selective abstraction. Cognitive errors were significant predictors of maladaptive perfectionism even after controlling for negative affect. However, cognitive errors did not predict adaptive perfectionism after controlling for positive affect. These findings highlight the role of negative thinking styles in maladaptive perfectionism in children and point to the potential usefulness of interventions that focus jointly on maladaptive perfectionism and negative cognitive styles. 2012 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/36956 10.1007/s10942-011-0129-1 Springer New York LLC restricted
spellingShingle Davis, Melissa
Wosinski, Nicole
Cognitive errors as predictors of adaptive and maladaptive perfectionism in children
title Cognitive errors as predictors of adaptive and maladaptive perfectionism in children
title_full Cognitive errors as predictors of adaptive and maladaptive perfectionism in children
title_fullStr Cognitive errors as predictors of adaptive and maladaptive perfectionism in children
title_full_unstemmed Cognitive errors as predictors of adaptive and maladaptive perfectionism in children
title_short Cognitive errors as predictors of adaptive and maladaptive perfectionism in children
title_sort cognitive errors as predictors of adaptive and maladaptive perfectionism in children
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/36956