Abstract
Objectives
Perfectionism is a personality trait, and both biological and environmental processes are involved in its development. This last subtype of factors includes those that originate in the family environment. Parents may give some characteristics to the interaction with children, which may be related to the genesis of this personality trait. Our aim is to review the influence and mechanisms related to the developmental aspects of perfectionism.
Methods
Non-systematic review of literature published until 2021 on PubMed/MEDLINE and Clinical Key databases, corresponding to “perfectionism” and “development”. Psychiatry textbooks were consulted.
Results
Several explanatory models have been proposed for the development of perfectionism. In the Social Expectations Model, it is conceived as a contingent response to parental expectations and approval. The Social Learning Model explains the role of modeling in relation to parental perfectionism. The Social Response Model proposes that perfectionism is a coping mechanism – a social response to adversity. The Model of Anxious Parental Education shows that parental overprotection and excessive control can favor perfectionism and anxiety. Flett (2002) presented an integrated perspective for the origin of perfectionism, including parental factors (e.g. parental style), environmental pressures (e.g. occupation, culture) and individual intrinsic factors (e.g. temperament). This author also mentioned other relevant aspects, such as traumatic events, and conceives perfectionism as a continuous process throughout the life cycle, not only determined by early experiences.
Conclusions
Understanding the history of development of the perfectionist individual and all the variables involved becomes important for the evaluation and even for the therapeutic process itself.
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