Perfectionism, Performance, and State Positive Affect and Negative Affect After a Classroom Test

The current study examined the associations among trait dimensions of perfectionism, test performance, and levels of positive and negative affect after taking a test. A sample of 92 female university students completed the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale one week prior to an actual class test. Measures of positive affect and negative affect were obtained immediately following the classroom test. It was found that socially prescribed perfectionism is associated significantly with lower positive affect, greater negative affect, and poorer test performance. In contrast, selforiented perfectionism is associated significantly with higher state positive affect but not with test performance or with state negative affect. Other-oriented perfectionism is associated significantly with both positive affect and enhanced test performance. The results are discussed in terms of the need to examine trait dimensions of perfectionism within the context of ongoing and actual performance outcomes experienced by perfectionistic students.