Exploring the impact of perfectionism and academic stress on academic performance

Abstract

In today's highly competitive academic environment, students often face immense pressure to excel, leading to heightened levels of stress and perfectionism. These psychological constructs–perfectionism and academic stress–have been widely acknowledged as key factors influencing students’ mental well-being and academic performance. While some students thrive under perfectionistic conditions, others experience burnout, anxiety, and declining performance, highlighting the need to better understand how these factors interact. This research study aims to fill these gaps by investigating the impact of adaptive and maladaptive and academic stress on academic performance, examining whether these factors act as enhancers or barriers to success.

Using a sample of high school students, data was collected via a self-administered survey that included the Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (FMPS) to measure perfectionism, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) to assess academic stress, and a self-reported GPA to evaluate academics performance. The findings revealed that adaptive perfectionism positively predicts academic performance, while maladaptive perfectionism and academic stress are associated with lower GPA. Gender differences were also observed, with females reporting slightly higher GPAs and stress levels compared to males. These results underscore the importance of fostering adaptive perfectionism and managing academic stress to promote healthier learning environments and improve student well-being.