Responsibility and perfectionism in OCD: An experimental study
Abstract
Cognitive models of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) suggest a number of different variables that may play a role in the development and maintenance of obsessive compulsive symptoms [Freeston, M. H., Rhéaume, J., & Ladouceur, R. (1996) Correcting faulty appraisals of obsessional thoughts. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 34, 433-446]. This study's aim was to verify the effect of perfectionism and excessive responsibility on checking behaviors and related variables. Twenty-four moderately perfectionistic subjects (MP) and 27 highly perfectionistic subjects (HP) were submitted to a manipulation of responsibility (low and high). After each manipulation, they had to perform a classification task during which checking behaviors were observed. Results indicate that more checking behaviors (hesitations, checking) occurred in the high responsibility condition than in the low responsibility condition for subjects of both groups. After executing the task in the high responsibility condition, HP subjects reported more influence over and responsibility for negative consequences than MP subjects. These results suggest that high perfectionistic tendencies could predispose individuals to overestimate their perceived responsibility for negative events. Furthermore, perfectionism could be conceived as playing a catalytic role in the perception of responsibility. Results are discussed according to cognitive models of OCD.
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It has proven difficult to experimentally induce perfectionism under laboratory conditions because inductions invariably confound perfectionism with responsibility and importance.
“It has proven difficult to experimentally induce perfectionism under laboratory conditions as inductions invariably confound perfectionism with responsibility and importance (Bouchard et al., 1999);”
From Coming of age: A reflection of the first 21 years of cognitive behaviour therapy for perfectionism (2023) · cites this paper as Bouchard et al., 1999
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- Authors
- Bouchard, C., Rhéaume, J., & Ladouceur, R.
- Affiliations
- Université Laval (CA)
- Corresponding author
- Ladouceur, Robert
- ORCID
- Ladouceur, Robert
- Venue
- Behaviour Research and Therapy
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 1999-03
- Volume
- 37
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 239-248
- ISSN
- 0005-7967 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2042169276
- Cited by
- 132
- References
- 29
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 6 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 12 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 10 · 2013: 5 · 2012: 8
- FWCI
- 5.44
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Behaviour Research and Therapy (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Medical Research Council
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Perfectionism, Procrastination, Anxiety Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Keywords
- obsessive-compulsive disorder, perfectionism, responsibility, checking behavior, cognitive models of OCD, cognitive appraisal, classification tasks
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Arousal, Attention, Defense Mechanisms, Female, Humans, Male, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Personality Assessment, Social Responsibility
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