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To err is (perfectly) human: behavioural and neural correlates of error processing and perfectionism.

ABSTRACT: The attitude towards one's own imperfection strongly varies between individuals. Here, we investigated variations in error-related activity depending on two sub-traits of perfectionism, Personal Standard Perfectionism (PSP) and Evaluative Concern Perfectionism (ECP) in a large scale functional magnetic resonance imaging study (N = 75) using a digit-flanker task. Participants with higher PSP scores showed both more post-error slowing and more neural activity in the medial-frontal gyrus including anterior cingulate cortex after errors. Interestingly, high-EC perfectionists with low PSP showed no post-error slowing and the highest activity in the middle frontal gyrus, whereas high-EC perfectionists with high PSP showed the lowest activity in this brain area and more post-error slowing. Our findings are in line with the hypothesis that perfectionists with high concerns but low standards avoid performance monitoring to avoid the worry-inducing nature of detecting personal failure and the anticipation of poor evaluation by others. However, the stronger goal-oriented performance motivation of perfectionists with high concerns and high standards may have led to less avoidance of error processing and a more intense involvement with the imperfect behaviour, which is essential for improving future performance.

SUBMITTER: Barke A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5647811 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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To err is (perfectly) human: behavioural and neural correlates of error processing and perfectionism.

Barke Antonia A Bode Stefan S Dechent Peter P Schmidt-Samoa Carsten C Van Heer Christina C Stahl Jutta J

Social cognitive and affective neuroscience 20171001 10

The attitude towards one's own imperfection strongly varies between individuals. Here, we investigated variations in error-related activity depending on two sub-traits of perfectionism, Personal Standard Perfectionism (PSP) and Evaluative Concern Perfectionism (ECP) in a large scale functional magnetic resonance imaging study (N = 75) using a digit-flanker task. Participants with higher PSP scores showed both more post-error slowing and more neural activity in the medial-frontal gyrus including ...[more]

PMID: 28655179

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Dataset Information

To err is (perfectly) human: behavioural and neural correlates of error processing and perfectionism.

Publications

To err is (perfectly) human: behavioural and neural correlates of error processing and perfectionism.

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