Perfectionism, Anxiety Sensitivity, and Negative Reactions Following a Failed Statistics Test: A Vulnerability-Stress Model

Resumen

Self-critical perfectionism and anxiety sensitivity are potential vulnerability factors for increased distress following performance failure. We hypothesized that participants who fail a statistics quiz will have lower state self-esteem, lower positive affect, and greater negative affect at post-test than those who get a good grade, after controlling for pre-test scores and the effect of experimental condition would become larger as self-critical perfectionism and anxiety sensitivity increase. Exploratory analyses examined rigid perfectionism and a newly introduced construct (statistics anxiety sensitivity) as moderators. We tested this vulnerability-stress model in 329 post-secondary students using a two-group, pre-post, between-subjects design. Students completed an easy or hard statistics test and were assessed on pre- and post-test state self-esteem (social & performance) and state affect (anxiety, dysphoria, hostility, & positive affect). Across outcomes, main effects of experimental condition predicted between 7-33% of the variance, with the largest effects for performance self-esteem. Personality by condition interactions predicted 0.1-2% of the variance; 16 of 24 interactions were statistically significant in the expected direction (i.e., the effect of experimental condition was larger for participants high in measured personality traits). Findings suggest personality traits are vulnerability factors for decreased self-esteem and increased negative affect following failure in a statistics assessment.

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Cómo citar (APA 7)

Workye, R., Shephard, A., Alexander, S., Cribbie, R., Flett, G., & Mackinnon, S. (2022). Perfectionism, Anxiety Sensitivity, and Negative Reactions Following a Failed Statistics Test: A Vulnerability-Stress Model. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/sjq3c