BYU Studies Perfectionism Across Adolescence by W. Justin Dyer
Jan 24, 2025
31:42
This article by W. Justin Dyer, published BYU Studies 63, no. 4 (2024) explores how perfectionism develops and changes during adolescence.
Key points from this article:
- Development of Perfectionism:
- Perfectionism tends to increase slightly from age 12 to 18.
- Discrepancy perfectionism (feeling you are not meeting expectations) and social perfectionism (feeling the need to be perfect for others) follow similar trajectories.
- Perfectionism Trajectories:
- Youth can be categorized into low, mid, and high perfectionism groups.
- 34% of youth fall into the low group, 48% into the mid group, and 18% into the high group.
- Influence of Social Media:
- High social media use is linked to higher levels of perfectionism.
- 22% of those using social media for three hours daily are high in perfectionism, compared to 13% of those who do not use social media.
- Gender Differences:
- Girls are more likely to be high perfectionists compared to boys.
- Nearly twice the percentage of girls are in the high perfectionism group than boys.
- Geographical Differences:
- Youth in Utah have higher rates of perfectionism compared to those in Arizona and California.
- 18% of youth in Utah are high in perfectionism, compared to 13% in Arizona and 11% in California.
- Sexual Orientation:
- Sexual and gender minorities (SGMs) have higher rates of perfectionism.
- 27% of SGMs are high in perfectionism, compared to 14% of non-SGMs.