“If Only I Had Done Better”: Perfectionism and the Functionality of Counterfactual Thinking
Abstract
Although a recent update on the functional theory of counterfactual thinking suggests that counterfactuals are important for behavior regulation, there is some evidence that counterfactuals may not be functional for everyone. Two studies found differences between maladaptive and high personal standards perfectionism in the functionality of counterfactuals and variables relevant to behavior regulation. Maladaptive but not personal standards perfectionism predicted making more upward counterfactuals after recalling a negative event and was linked to a variety of negative markers of achievement. Maladaptive perfectionism was associated with making controllable, subtractive, and less specific counterfactuals. High personal standards perfectionism moderated the effects of maladaptive perfectionism on counterfactual controllability. Generating counterfactuals increased motivation for personal standards perfectionists relative to a noncounterfactual control group but had no effect on motivation for maladaptive perfectionists. The findings suggest a continuum of counterfactual functionality for perfectionists and highlight the importance of considering counterfactual specificity and structure.
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Self-regulation failure via problems in managing setbacks and failures has been linked to perfectionism and procrastination individually within other domains, and may therefore also be relevant for understanding how perfectionistic concerns and perfectionistic strivings relate to procrastination within the health domain.
“Self-regulation failure via problems in managing setbacks and failures (i.e., the discrepancy between current and desired states) have been linked to perfectionism and procrastination individually within other domains (e.g., Pychyl & Sirois, 2016; Sagar & Stoeber, 2009; Sirois et al., 2010), and may therefore also be relevant for understanding how perfectionistic concerns and perfectionist”
From A Meta–Analytic and Conceptual Update on the Associations between Procrastination and Multidimensional Perfectionism (2017) · cites this paper as Sirois et al., 2010
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Sirois, F., & Pychyl, T. (2013) · Social and Personality Psychology Compass · doi:10.1111/spc3.12011 · Cited by 696 · see citing works
Self-citationSirois, F. M., Molnar, D. S., & Hirsch, J. K. (2017) · European Journal of Personality · doi:10.1002/per.2098 · Cited by 108 · see citing works
Self-citationToo imperfect to fall asleep: perfectionism, pre-sleep counterfactual processing, and insomnia
Schmidt, R. E., Courvoisier, D. S., Cullati, S., Kraehenmann, R., & Linden, M. V. D. (2018) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01288 · Cited by 35 · see citing works
- Authors
- Sirois, F. M., Monforton, J., & Simpson, M.
- Affiliations
- Bishop's University (CA)
- Toronto Metropolitan University (CA)
- University of Windsor (CA)
- Corresponding author
- Sirois, Fuschia M.
- ORCID
- Sirois, Fuschia M.
- Venue
- Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2010-11-01
- Volume
- 36
- Issue
- 12
- Pages
- 1675-1692
- ISSN
- 0146-1672 (ISSN-L)
- 1552-7433
- OpenAlex
- W2027071938
- Cited by
- 47
- References
- 13
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 5 · 2013: 5 · 2012: 3
- FWCI
- 3.52
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- White Rose Research Online (University of Leeds, The University of Sheffield, University of York) (acceptedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Perfectionism, Procrastination, Anxiety Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › General Decision Sciences › Decision-Making and Behavioral Economics
- Keywords
- counterfactual reasoning, perfectionism, maladaptive perfectionism, personal standards perfectionism, behavioral regulation, motivation, achievement, negative events
- MeSH terms
- Affect, Decision Making, Defense Mechanisms, Humans, Internal-External Control, Motivation, Surveys and Questionnaires, Self Concept, Thinking
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