EXPLORING THE PSYCHOLOGICAL UNDERPINNING OF PERFECTIONISM AND SELF-CRITICISM IN UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

Abstract

Perfectionism refers to the tendency to set excessively unrealistic high standards for oneself, while self-criticism refers to the tendency to be highly critical when evaluating oneself. The present study used a cross-sectional design to explore the relationship between perfectionism and self-criticism among undergraduate students in Lahore, Pakistan, along with potential gender disparities in these constructs. A purposive sample of 313 undergraduate students, with 156 men and 157 women belonging to different academic disciplines from various public and private institutions in Lahore were obtained. A demographic sheet, followed by The Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (FMPS) and the Forms of Self- Criticizing/Attacking and Self-Reassuring Scale (FSCRS) were used as assessment tools. Using IBM SPSS Statistics version 26, the data was analyzed through descriptive statistics such as mean, standard deviation, frequency, and percentages, as well as inferential statistics such as Pearson Product Moment Correlation to investigate the relationship between perfectionism, self-criticism and academic achievement, and Independent Samples t-test to explore gender differences. The findings revealed that perfectionism has a positive and significant association with inadequate self and hated self and a negative relationship with reassured self. Men and women had similar perfectionism and self- criticism scores. Additionally, academic achievement was only associated with hated self. These findings highlight the importance of integrating mental health literacy into the curriculum and developing targeted mental health interventions for students.