Describe Perfectionism. Discuss various moderators of stress.

Perfectionism:

Perfectionism can be described as expectations that an individual may have from self and others or both and these expectations are demanding in nature which seldom leaves chance for compromise. 

Perfectionism can be categorised into internal perfectionism (expectations from self) and external perfectionism (expectations from others).

Individuals with internal perfectionism will have high expectations from themselves and this can not only affect their health but also their productivity.

It can also negatively affect their relationship and self-esteem.

Individuals who have external perfectionism will often find fault with others and are never satisfied with how others work and this can lead them to experiencing frustration as well as hostility.

Following are some of the beliefs that are characteristic of an individual with perfectionism:

1. Anything that I do should be carried out perfectly.
2. No mistakes should be made by me or others.
3. There is always a correct way in which things should be done.
4. I am failure if I don’t do things perfectly.
5. If I make a mistake, I am a total failure.

Such beliefs (all or nothing) can be termed as irrational as they are loaded with injunctions and they can push an individual on the path of distress.

An individual having such beliefs is more likely to experience stress than a person with rational beliefs. 

For instance, an individual who believes, that if he/she makes a single mistake then he/she is a failure will experience prolonged sadness and anger with self and may not make any attempts in future.

However, an individual who sees a mistake as a learning experience is more likely to make attempts in future and less likely to experience stress or anger.

Moderators of Stress:

Besides the above factors, there are also certain moderators of stress that need to be mentioned. The moderators play an important role in the relationship between the stress and corresponding reactions.

These moderators may lead to individuals experiencing higher or lower stress.

Locus of control: Locus of control is a concept that was proposed by Rotter in 1954 and can be explained as the belief system possessed by an individual with regard to whether the outcome of his/her actions can be attributed to his/her own actions or to events, objects, people outside his/her control. 

Hardiness: Hardiness can be described as denoting a likeness for challenges, having a strong sense of commitment and control (Schafer, 2004, pg. 236).

Individuals having high hardiness are optimistic and they see a stressful situation as an opportunity to grow. They also put in hard work because they enjoy doing so.

Social support: This is one of the significant moderators of stress. A person experiencing stress will be able to deal with it in a better way if he/she has adequate social support.

Social support can be in form of material gifts, finance, food and so on, or in terms of information to comprehend the stress and coping strategies.

Optimism and pessimism: Optimistic individuals are found to be able to deal with stress adequately and thus may not get adversely affected by stress that they experience.

Optimism can also be related to resilience that helps individuals to bounce back from stressful situations.

Gender and culture: Besides the above gender and culture may also play an important role as moderators of stress.

Socialization to a great extent may depend on gender as well as culture that can have an impact on not only the personality but also beliefs and attitudes of the individual.

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