Association Between Perfectionism, Test Perfomance, State Positive Affect and Negative Affect After a Classroom Tests

The main aim of the study examined the associations among trait dimensions of perfectionism, test performance, and levels of positive and negative affect after taking a midterm test in developmental psychology. A sample of 97 university students, aged 19-20, enrolled in 1st year at Faculty of Educational Science, ―Goce Delcev ― University of Stip, completed the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (MPS; Hewitt & Flett, 2004), one week prior to an actual class test. Measures of positive affect and negative affect were obtained immediately following the midterm classroom test (PANAS; Watson et al., 1988). The test completed by each student was a regular midterm test that comprised 20% of their final grade in developmental psychology. As we expected, it was found that socially prescribed perfectionism is associated significantly with lower positive affect, greater negative affect, and poorer test performance. In contrast, self-oriented perfectionism is associated significantly with higher state positive affect but not with test performance or with state negative affect. Other-oriented perfectionism is associated significantly with both positive affect and enhanced test performance. The results are discussed in terms of the need to examine trait dimensions of perfectionism within the context of ongoing and actual performance outcomes experienced by perfectionistic students