A meta-analysis of multidimensional perfectionism and self-conscious emotions

Perfectionism is a multidimensional personality characteristic that includes perfectionistic strivings and perfectionistic concerns. These dimensions are associated with numerous cognitive, affective and behavioural outcomes. Among its most important affective outcomes is its association with self-conscious emotions; that is, emotions that arise as a result of thinking about and evaluating the self (Tangney & Tracy, 2012). The main self-conscious emotions are shame, guilt, embarrassment, envy and pride. Research indicates that PC and, to a lesser degree, PS may make individuals prone to a maladaptive pattern of self-conscious emotions – higher shame, guilt, embarrassment, and envy and lower pride (e.g., Orth et al., 2006; Piotrowski 2019; Piotrowski et al., 2023). However, as yet, no attempt has been made to summarise this work and, given the volume of work, a meta-analysis of these relationships is now warranted. In doing so, sources of variability in the relationships can also be explored (e.g., gender, age, study country, domain, and measures of perfectionism).