The Relationships between Positive and Negative Perfectionisms, Self-Handicapping, Self-Efficacy and Academic Achievement

Abstract

This research aimed to investigate the relationships between positive and negative perfectionisms, self-handicapping, self-efficacy and academic achievement. For this purpose, an extensive literature review was conducted and a model was suggested. Structural equation model was employed to test the model. The study group of the research consisted of 350 students studying at the Faculty of Muallim Rıfat Education at Kilis 7 Aralık University. The data was collected through positive and negative perfectionism scale, self-handicapping scale, self-efficacy scale and personal information form. Descriptive, correlation, path and bootstrap methods were used to analyze the data. As a result of the data analysis, it was revealed that students' positive perfectionism have a significant positive effect on their academic achievement and self-efficacy, while they have a significant negative effect on their self-handicapping. Besides, it was found that the negative perfectionism have a significant negative effect on their academic achievement and self-efficacy, and a significant positive effect on self-handicapping. Lastly, it was seen that selfefficacy and self-handicapping play partial mediation roles in the relationship between positive and negative perfectionism and academic achievement. Based on this result, it can be stated that positive and negative perfectionisms are significant variables which have direct and indirect effects on academic achievement.

Prediction of learners’ mathematics performance by their emotional intelligence, self-esteem and self-efficacy

“…Self-efficacy according to El-Adl and Alkharusi (2020) had a significant positive relationship with learners' academic achievement. Adeoye and Feyisetan (2015) found that learners' academic achievement in the English language was determined by their self-efficacy Similar studies found that learners' academic achievement had a significant positive relationship with their self-efficacy (Bushra & Lubna 2014;Hammed & Toyin 2015;Osenweugwor 2018;Hüseyin, Yıldız & Mehmet 2018;Oyuga, Raburu, & Aloka 2019;Nwaukwa, Onyemechara & Ndubuisi 2019).…”

Self-Handicapping and Spiritual Well-Being

“…Another reason for the high level of self-handicapping and anomie scores in both work and transcendence is the nonfunctional perfectionism and self-handicapping (Akar, Dogan, Üstüner, 2018) with the multitude of missions expected from theology (Uçar, 2017). Again, the low autonomy can be one of the explanatory factors of self-handicapping in theologians.…”

The Influence of Perfectionism on Academic Self-Concept

“…Characterized as a personality disposition, perfectionism is the act of striving for precision and having exceedingly high expectations (Frost et al, 1990). Current evidence suggests perfectionism can be both problematic and beneficial to performance (Martinelli et al, 2017;Akar et al, 2018). For example, Closson and Boutilier (2017) found specific aspects of perfectionism to be associated with procrastination, while other factors were associated with academic engagement.…”

“…The FMPS consists of six subscales; Concern for Mistakes (CM), Personal Standards (PS), Parental Expectations (PE), Parental Criticism (PC), Doubts about actions (D), and Organization (O). Researcher's find the factors of the FMPS to be associated with either adaptive or maladaptive perfectionism (Stallman and Hurst, 2011;Castro et al, 2017;Akar et al, 2018). Adaptive perfectionism can be thought of as factors that enhance performance, while maladaptive perfectionism hinders performance.…”

“…Bandura (1997) stated "Self-concept is a composite view of oneself that is presumed to be formed through direct experience and evaluations adopted from significant others" (p. 10). Researchers have found relationships between perfectionism and general self-concept (Eusanio et al, 2014) self-efficacy (Stoeber et al, 2008;Akar et al, 2018) and self-esteem (Koivula et al, 2002). For example, in a study of 244 premed and medical students, researchers found a negative relationship between perfectionism and academic self-efficacy, ultimately causing academic burnout (Yu et al, 2016) In another study of 100 undergraduate students, Stoeber et al (2008) found maladaptive perfectionism was associated with low self-efficacy, while adaptive perfectionism was found to be associated with high self-efficacy.…”