Relationship between perfectionism and stress in students during exam time

Perfekcionizam se može definirati kao težnja za besprijekornošću u svim aspektima života. Istraživanja pokazuju da je taj višedimenzionalni konstrukt povezan s doživljavanjem stresa, a sve više ih dokazuje i njegovu povezanost s akademskim uspjehom studenata. Ovim istraživanjem željeli smo ispitati povezanost dimenzija perfekcionizma (visoki standardi, red i nezadovoljstvo postignutim), te doživljaja i tjelesnih manifestacija stresa kod studenata u ispitnom roku i utvrditi postoje li razlike u spomenutim varijablama s obzirom na subjektivnu i objektivnu uspješnost u studiju. U tu smo svrhu proveli istraživanje u dvije vremenske točke: u ožujku 2010. godine (uz pretpostavku niskog intenziteta stresa jer nije vrijeme ispitnih rokova) i u lipnju 2010. godine (uz pretpostavku visokog intenziteta stresa jer je vrijeme ispitnih rokova). Sudionici u istraživanju su bili studenti psihologije (N=171) na Filozofskom fakultetu Sveučilišta u Zagrebu. U prvoj točki mjerenja ispitana je razina perfekcionizma, procjena vlastitog uspjeha na tri zasebne mjere akademskog postignuća, zadovoljstvo sobom kao studentom (mjera subjektivne uspješnosti), te ukupni prosjek ocjena (mjera objektivne uspješnosti). U drugoj točki mjerenja ispitan je intenzitet doživljenog stresa, tjelesne manifestacije stresa, procjena stupnja stresa u protekla dva tjedna i izvori stresa. Rezultati su pokazali da je nezadovoljstvo postignutim pozitivno povezano s doživljajem i tjelesnim manifestacijama stresa kod studenata u ispitnom roku. Subjektivno uspješni studenti u prosjeku su zadovoljniji postignutim uspjehom u studiju, te doživljavaju slabiji intenzitet i manje tjelesnih manifestacija stresa od subjektivno neuspješnih studenata Objektivno uspješniji studenti imaju nešto više standarde od objektivno manje uspješnih studenata. Studentova subjektivna procjena vlastite uspješnosti u studiju pokazala se značajnom odrednicom toga kako će se student osjećati i hoće li doživjeti jači intenzitet stresa za vrijeme ispitnih rokova.Perfectionism can be defined as striving for flawlessness in all aspects of life. Results of previous researches clearly indicate relation of this multidimensional construct with the experience of stress, and there is increasing evidence of it’s relation with student academic achievement. Our research attempts to investigate the relationship between dimensions of perfectionism (high standards, order and dissatisfaction with the achieved) and the experience and the physical manifestations of stress in students during exam time, and determine whether there were differences in these variables with regard to subjective and objective performance in the study. For this purpose we conducted a study, which consisted of two measurement points: in March 2010 (assuming a low intensity of stress because it is not the time for exams), and in June 2010 (assuming high intensity of stress because it is exam time). Participants in the study were psychology students (N = 171) at Philosophical faculty at University of Zagreb. Levels of perfectionism, assessments of student’s own success on three separate measures of academic achievement, student’s satisfaction with himself as a student (a subjective measure of success), and overall grade point average (a measure of objective performance) were examined in the first measurement point. In the second measurement point the intensity of experienced stress, physical manifestations of stress, assessment of the degree of stress in the past two weeks, and sources of stress were examined. The results showed that the dissatisfaction with the achieved is positively correlated with the experience and the physical manifestations of stress in students during exam. Subjectively successful students were more satisfied with the achieved, lower intensity and less physical manifestations of stress than unsuccessful students subjectively, and objectively successful students have higher standards than less successful students. Student's subjective evaluation of their performance in the study proved to be significant determinant of intensity of stress during exam periods