Striving for perfection: The influence of perfectionism on English language proficiency among Chinese non-English majors
Abstract
As a significant personality trait that drives individuals to pursue excellence and adhere to the highest standards, perfectionism plays a vital role in the process of language acquisition. In light of this, the present study aims to examine the relationship between perfectionism and English language proficiency among non-English majors. Utilizing the Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale for Chinese (CFMPS), an online questionnaire was administered to 215 non-English majors to assess various dimensions of perfectionism. Additionally, participants’ English proficiency was measured using their College English Test Band 4 (CET-4) scores. Based on this standardized metric, their English language proficiency was quantified to further explore its association with perfectionism. To achieve the research objectives, the collected data were analyzed using a variety of statistical techniques, including descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVA, and logistic regression. The results indicated that participants exhibited a high level of perfectionism both overall and across its various dimensions.Moreover, significant differences in perfectionism were observed based on gender and grade level, while no differences emerged across majors. Furthermore, a significant positive correlation was found between perfectionism and English proficiency. In summary, the findings of this study are expected to provide deeper insights into the influence of perfectionism on language learning and other behavioral aspects of learners.
Keywords
References
Bieling, P. J., Israeli, A. L., & Antony, M. M. (2004). Is perfectionism good, bad, or both? Examining models of the perfectionism construct. Personality and Individual Differences, 36(6), 1373-1385. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0191-8869(03)00235-6
Burns, D. D. (1980). The perfectionist’s script for self-defeat. Psychology today, 14(6), 34-52.
Cattell, R. B. (1950). Personality: A systematic theoretical and factual study. McGraw-Hill. https://doi.org/10.1037/10773-000
Chen, I. J., Hu, M., Zhang, H., & Guo, Z. (2018). The effect of parenting behavior on the obsessive-compulsive symptom of college students: the mediating role of perfectionism. Creative Education, 9(05), 758. https://doi.org/10.4236/ce.2018.95057
Chen, H., Pang, L., Liu, F., Fang, T., & Wen, Y. (2022). “Be perfect in every respect”: the mediating role of career adaptability in the relationship between perfectionism and career decision-making difficulties of college students. BMC psychology, 10(1), 137. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-022-00845-1
Chui, W. H., & Wong, M. Y. (2017). Avoiding disappointment or fulfilling expectation: A study of gender, academic achievement, and family functioning among Hong Kong adolescents. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 26, 48-56. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-016-0550-2
Crompton, H., Edmett, A., Ichaporia, N., & Burke, D. (2024). AI and English language teaching: Affordances and challenges. British Journal of Educational Technology, 55, 2503-2529. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.13460
Curran, T., & Hill, A. P. (2019). Perfectionism is increasing over time: A meta-analysis of birth cohort differences from 1989 to 2016. Psychological bulletin, 145(4), 410. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000138
Dewaele, J. M. (2012). Personality: Personality traits as independent and dependent variables. In S. Mercer, S. Ryan, & M. Williams (Eds.), Psychology for language learning: Insights from research, theory and practice (pp. 42-57). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137032829_4
Fernández-García, O., Gil-Llario, M. D., Castro-Calvo, J., Morell-Mengual, V., Ballester-Arnal, R., & Estruch-García, V. (2022). Academic perfectionism, psychological well-being, and suicidal ideation in college students. International journal of environmental research and public health, 20(1), 85. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20010085
Frost, R. O., Marten, P., Lahart, C., & Rosenblate, R. (1990). The dimensions of perfectionism. Cognitive therapy and research, 14, 449-468. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01172967
Ge, C., & Wang, H. (2017). The relationship between college students’ perfectionism and learning motivation: The mediating role of self-esteem. Journal of Xinyang Normal University, 37(2), 36-39.
Goulet‐Pelletier, J. C., Gaudreau, P., & Cousineau, D. (2022). Is perfectionism a killer of creative thinking? A test of the model of excellencism and perfectionism. British Journal of Psychology, 113(1), 176-207. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjop.12530
Grugan, M. C., Hill, A. P., Madigan, D. J., Donachie, T. C., Olsson, L. F., & Etherson, M. E. (2021). Perfectionism in academically gifted students: A systematic review. Educational Psychology Review, 1-43. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-021-09597-7
Hao, P. (2015). The Relationship among Perfectionism, Anxiety and Internet Addition of College Students. Advances in Psychology, 5(11), 657-666. http://dx.doi.org/10.12677/ap.2015.511085
Hewitt, P. L., & Flett, G. L. (1991). Perfectionism in the self and social contexts: conceptualization, assessment, and association with psychopathology. Journal of personality and social psychology, 60(3), 456. https ://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.60.3.456
Huang, I., Short, M. A., Bartel, K., O’Shea, A., Hiller, R. M., Lovato, N., ... & Gradisar, M. (2020). The roles of repetitive negative thinking and perfectionism in explaining the relationship between sleep onset difficulties and depressed mood in adolescents. Sleep Health, 6(2), 166-171. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleh.2019.09.008
Hu, H., Li, S., & He, K. (2024). The impact of various emotions on college students’ English academic performance: The multiple mediating roles of pleasure, burnout, and anxiety. Advances in Education, 14, 480.
Khosravi, R., Mohammadi, E., Esmaeili, N., & Zandi, H. (2023). Perfectionism and writing anxiety as predictors of Iranian EFL learners’ performance in IELTS writing module: a multi-dimensional perspective. Frontiers in Education, 8. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2023.1108542
Kinman, G., & Grant, L. (2022). Being ‘good enough’: Perfectionism and well-being in social workers. British Journal of Social Work, 52(7), 4171-4188. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcac010
Lan, P. S., Liu, M. C., & Baranwal, D. (2023). Applying contracts and online communities to promote student self-regulation in English learning at the primary-school level. Interactive Learning Environments, 31(1), 468-479. https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2020.1789674
Lin, L. (2020). Perfectionism and Writing Performance of Chinese EFL College Learners. English Language Teaching, 13(8), 35-45. https://doi.org/10.5539/elt.v13n8p35
Li, Y., Teng, W., Tsai, L., & Lin, T. M. (2022). Does English proficiency support the economic development of non-English-speaking countries? The case of Asia. International Journal of Educational Development, 92, 102623. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2022.102623
Loscalzo, Y., Rice, S. P., Giannini, M., & Rice, K. G. (2019). Perfectionism and academic performance in Italian college students. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 37(7), 911-919. https://doi.org/10.1177/0734282918800748
Ma, C. Y. (2023). The influence of postgraduate perfectionism on academic passion: The mediating role of learning motivation and the moderating role of mentor support [Master’s thesis, Jilin University]. CNKI Thesis. https://chn.oversea.cnki.net/index
Madigan, D. J. (2019). A meta-analysis of perfectionism and academic achievement. Educational Psychology Review, 31, 967-989. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-019-09484-2
Movafaghardestani, E., Barjesteh, H., & Dehqan, M. (2024). Self-regulated Learning and Perfectionism as Predictors of Listening Anxiety in the Context of Foreign Language Learning: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach. Research Square, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-3936392/v1
Novikova, I. A., Berisha, N. S., Novikov, A. L., & Shlyakhta, D. A. (2020). Personality traits and foreign language proficiency in Russian linguistics and non-linguistics students. RUDN Journal of Psychology and Pedagogics, 17(3), 426-439. https://doi.org/10.22363/2313-1683-2020-17-3-426-439
Onwuegbuzie, A. J., Bailey, P., & Daley, C. E. (2000). Cognitive, affective, personality, and demographic predictors of foreign-language achievement. The Journal of Educational Research, 94(1), 3-15. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220670009598738
Pacht, A. R. (1984). Reflections on perfection. American psychologist, 39(4), 386. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.39.4.386
Pourfeiz, J. (2015). Exploring the relationship between global personality traits and attitudes toward foreign language learning. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 186, 467-473. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.04.119
Razmi, M. H., Jabbari, A. A., & Fazilatfar, A. M. (2020). Perfectionism, self-efficacy components, and metacognitive listening strategy use: A multicategorical multiple mediation analysis. Journal of Psycholinguistic Research, 49(6), 1047-1065. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10936-020-09733-4
Rao, P. S. (2019). The role of English as a global language. Research journal of English, 4(1), 65-79.
Renandya, W. A., Hamied, F. A., & Nurkamto, J. (2018). English language proficiency in Indonesia: Issues and prospects. Journal of Asia TEFL, 15(3), 618. http://dx.doi.org/10.18823/asiatefl.2018.15.3.4.618
Sand, L., Bøe, T., Shafran, R., Stormark, K. M., & Hysing, M. (2021). Perfectionism in adolescence: Associations with gender, age, and socioeconomic status in a Norwegian sample. Frontiers in public health, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2021.688811
Sepiadou, I., & Metallidou, P. (2023). Academic hardiness as a moderator of the relation between perfectionism and academic procrastination in university students. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 38(3), 1053-1071. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-022-00648-3
Silverman, L. K. (1999). Perfectionism. Gifted education international, 13(3), 216-225. https://doi.org/10.1177/026142949901300303
Smith, M. M., Sherry, S. B., Ge, S. Y., Hewitt, P. L., Flett, G. L., & Baggley, D. L. (2022). Multidimensional perfectionism turns 30: A review of known knowns and known unknowns. Canadian Psychology/Psychologie canadienne, 63(1), 16. https ://doi.org/10.1037/cap0000288
Sönmez, G., & Kurtoğlu, M. (2021). Impact of perfectionism and self-compassion feelings of undergraduate students on their foreign language speaking anxiety. Psycho-Educational Research Reviews, 10(2), 230-240. https://doi.org/10.52963/PERR_Biruni_V10.N2.16
Taber, K. S. (2018). The use of Cronbach’s alpha when developing and reporting research instruments in science education. Research in science education, 48, 1273-1296. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11165-016-9602-2
Taherkhani, R., & Karbakhsh Ravari, R. (2018). Cultural intelligence, cultural identity, autonomy, self-efficacy and second language achievement of Iranian EFL learners: A path analysis. Applied Research on English Language, 7(4), 435-456. http://doi.org/10.22108/are.2018.111987.1324
Tao, Y., & Yu, J. (2024). Cultural threads in writing mastery: a structural analysis of perfectionism, learning self-efficacy, and motivation as mediated by self-reflection in Chinese EFL learners. BMC psychology, 12(1), 80. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-024-01572-5
Wang, H., Xu, L., & Li, J. (2023). Connecting foreign language enjoyment and English proficiency levels: The mediating role of L2 motivation. Frontiers in psychology, 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1054657
Xiong, Z., Liu, C., Song, M., & Ma, X. (2024). The Relationship between Maladaptive Perfectionism and Anxiety in First-Year Undergraduate Students: A Moderated Mediation Model. Behavioral Sciences, 14(8), 628. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14080628
Ytterdal, M. (2018). The correlation between perfectionism, stress, coping and physical fitness among high school students [Master’s thesis, Western Norway University]. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global.
Yu, X., & Liu, C. (2022). Teaching English as a lingua franca in China: Hindrances and prospects. English Today, 38(3), 185-193. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0266078421000018
Zafarani, P., Ahangari, S., & Hadidi Tamjid, N. (2022). Perfectionism, anxiety and English language achievement of Iranian EFL learners: The contribution of performance goal-orientation. Research in English Language Pedagogy, 10(3), 389-411. https://doi.org/10.30486/RELP.2021.1940282.1307
Zeng, J., & Wang, X. (2023). The China’s foreign language education policies along with the Belt and Road Initiative’s implementation: Retrospect and prospect. Modern Journal of Studies in English Language Teaching and Literature, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.56498/512023477
Zhang, Y., & Wang, H. (2023). Effect of English Learning Motivation on Academic Performance Among English Majors in China: The Moderating Role of Certain Personality Traits. Psychology Research and Behavior Management, 2187-2199. https://doi.org/10.2147/PRBM.S407486
Zhang, J. (2021). Analysis on English learning anxiety of non-English major college students during the COVID-19 epidemic. Journal of Xihua University, 40(3), 103-114. http://dx.doi.org/10.12189/j.issn.1672-8505.2021.03.012
Zhang, W., & Wang, Y. (2023). The impact of gender roles and gender stereotypes on sports participation and performance. Advances in Psychology, 13, 1799. https://doi.org/10.12677/AP.2023.135219
Zi, F., & Zhou, X. (2006). Reliability and validity test of Chinese Frost multidimensional Perfectionism questionnaire. Chinese Journal of Clinical Psychology, 6, 560-563.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17509/ijal.v15i1.79491
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.