Typology of Perfectionism in a Group of Mathematically Gifted Czech Adolescents Over One Decade. (November 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Portešová, Šárka; Urbánek, Tomáš
• Other Names: Macek Petr guest-editor.; Vazsonyi Alexander T. guest-editor.
• Is Part Of: Journal of early adolescence. Volume 33:Number 8(2013)
• Page Start: 1116
• Page End: 1144
• Publication Date: 2013-11
• Subjects: academic achievement -- gifted/talented -- motivation -- school context; Adolescence -- United States -- Periodicals; Adolescent -- Periodicals; Adolescence -- États-Unis -- Périodiques; 305.235
• DOI: 10.1177/0272431613487603
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0272-4316

Abstract

This study assessed differences in Parker's typology of perfectionism (healthy perfectionist, unhealthy perfectionist, and nonperfectionist). We compared the results from previous research with follow-up 2005 and 2010 data collected from highly gifted Czech mathematicians aged 12 to 16 years. The study examined whether the same three types/clusters of perfectionists emerge for three cohorts (2000, 2005, and 2010) and whether these clusters differ in other characteristics of perfectionism. Data from 2005 and 2010 cohorts showed healthy and unhealthy perfectionism types and a mixed maladaptive-adaptive type characterized by high scores on both adaptive and maladaptive FMPS dimensions. According to Dixon, Lapsley, and Hanchon, this mixed type reflects a recently described "pervasive" type of unhealthy perfectionism. Possible causes for failing to detect this type in earlier samples of talented Czech students are discussed. Both unhealthy and mixed types of perfectionism, which are the focus of our research, seem to be on the rise.