#118 - Shireen Swaleh - How Society Shapes Our Drive to Be Flawless

Shireen Swaleh is an honors psychology student at the University of Alberta. Shireen is deeply passionate about psychology and is determined to pursue graduate school despite the challenges she has faced along the way. Her perseverance and ambition set her apart, and it’s clear that she is on a path toward making meaningful contributions to the field. She embodies resilience, intellectual curiosity, and the drive to push past obstacles in order to achieve her goals. We’re excited to have her on to discuss a topic that is highly relevant to many students—perfectionism in academic settings.Our conversation will explore the complexities of perfectionism, particularly the distinction between adaptive and maladaptive perfectionism in university life. Research shows that self-oriented, adaptive perfectionism—where individuals strive to meet high personal standards—can lead to increased academic satisfaction, self-efficacy, and higher GPAs. However, socially prescribed, maladaptive perfectionism—driven by external expectations and fear of failure—can result in anxiety, procrastination, and lower academic performance. We’ll also examine the role of Asian collectivist culture in shaping perfectionist tendencies, discussing how parental expectations and societal norms influence students' experiences. Finally, we’ll look at potential interventions, including cognitive reframing, mindfulness, and academic resilience strategies, to help students manage perfectionism in a way that fosters growth rather than harm.KEEP IT LONG TERM!ReferencesBong, M. , Hwang, A. , Noh, A. & Kim, S. (2014). Perfectionism and Motivation of Adolescents in Academic Contexts. Journal of Educational Psychology, 106 (3), 711-729. doi: 10.1037/a0035836.Castro, J. R., & Rice, K. G. (2003). Perfectionism and ethnicity: Implications for depressive symptoms and self-reported academic achievement. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 9(1), 64–78. https://doi-org.login.ezproxy.library.ualberta.ca/10.1037/1099-9809.9.1.64Damian, L. E., Stoeber, J., Negru‐Subtirica, O., & Băban, A. (2017). On the development of perfectionism: The longitudinal role of academic achievement and academic efficacy. Journal of personality, 85(4), 565-577.Dickinson, M. J., & Dickinson, D. A. (2015). Practically perfect in every way: can reframing perfectionism for high-achieving undergraduates impact academic resilience?. Studies in Higher Education, 40(10), 1889-1903.Rice, K. G., Richardson, C. M., & Ray, M. E. (2016). Perfectionism in academic settings. Perfectionism, health, and well-being, 245-264.Suh, H. N. , Pigott, T. , Rice, K. G. , Davis, D. E. & Andrade, A. C. (2023). Meta-Analysis of the Relationship Between Self-Critical Perfectionism and Depressive Symptoms. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 70 (2), 203-211. doi: 10.1037/cou0000653.Visvalingam, S., McHardy, H. L., Norder, S. J., Magson, N. R., & Norberg, M. M. (2023). A mixed methods study of an online intervention to reduce perfectionism. Current Psychology, 42(22), 18686-18701.Walton, G. E., Hibbard, D. R., Coughlin, C., & Coyl-Shepherd, D. D. (2020). Parenting, personality, and culture as predictors of perfectionism. Current Psychology, 39, 681-693.Yoon, J., & Lau, A. S. (2008). Maladaptive perfectionism and depressive symptoms among Asian American college students: contributions of interdependence and parental relations. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 14(2), 92.