PITFALLS OF PERFECTIONISM
Level of difficulty: ***
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First, take the test; copy paste to access:
http://psychologytoday.tests.psychtests.com/take_test.php?idRegTest=3262
PREREADING QUESTIONS
1.
What
kind of a person is a perfectionist in your view?
2.
Do
you know any perfectionists? Would you describe yourself as a perfectionist?
3.
Does
being a perfectionist have any advantages in your view?
QUESTIONS
1.
Why
is perfectionism a crime against humanity? Be brief and to the point.
2.
State
two factors that lead children to become perfectionists.
3.
What
negative effects of perfectionism directly impact society?
4.
Why
is perfectionism described as an endless report card? Explain in your own
words.
5.
What
does “this” refer to in the phrase “No one knows this better than psychologist
Randy O. Frost”?
6.
Read
the section on what perfectionism sounds like and explain if any of what is
written applies to you or someone you know.
7.
What
does “it refer to in the phrase “it is necessary but not sufficient” in
paragraph seven?
8.
What
distinguishes perfectionists from successful people?
9.
Perfectionism
is linked to two psychological problems. What is the link?
10.
What
does “it’s” refer to in the phrase “But it’s only paralyzing in the presence of
parental criticism” in paragraph eight?
11.
State
first the immediate and then the ultimate effects of concern with mistakes.
12.
What
does “it” refer to in the phrase “And it comes about because a child is made to
feel that approval is contingent on
performance” in paragraph ten?
13.
What
negative effect does pushing for perfection have on a child’s attitude?
14.
What
is the basic difference between excellence and perfectionism?
15.
The
example of writing ability is provided to indicate an important aspect of
perfectionism. What is it? Why is the attitude of these college students a
mistake?
16.
Obsessing with perfection has a negative
impact on two types of performance. They are:
17.
Parents’
psychological control of children stems from ………………………and…………………………
18.
What
is the underlying reason of parents’ separation anxiety?
19.
The
children who experience parental criticism and high pressure to achieve success
reach a damaging conclusion concerning their parents’ attitude towards them. It
is:
20.
What
does success really depend on? Why?
21.
Read
the story of the vice president of a major investment group. Now explain who
she hires and why. Also explain why the people she hires are the way they are.
22.
In
what way does perfectionism resemble anorexia?
23.
Read
the list of ways in which to criticize. The advice given here is sound because:
24.
Read
the section “How to Praise” and provide an example of how not to give praise.
25.
Read
the advice provided in the section “Letting Go Is Hard to Do”. Which is the
best piece of advice? Discuss.
VOCABULARY
1. In paragraph 1,
find a verb which means the opposite of
to make flexible. Then, find a verb which means to limit.
2. Explain in your own words what the
following words in paragraph 2 mean: to be implicit in something and unsettling.
3. Explain in your own words what the
following phrase in paragraph 5
means: to be in the grip of something
4.
In paragraph 7, the word punishing is used to describe a certain kind of activity. What kind
of activity?
5. Explain in your own words what the
word haunted in paragraph 8 means. Now find
a word in the same paragraph which means being
part of the nature or character of.
6. In paragraph 9, find a word which means depend
on
7.
Explain
what you think the word debilitating in
paragraph 16 means.
8.
Explain
what the phrase something that compels
their interest in paragraph 24
means.
WRITING TASK
Write an essay discussing the
negative effects of perfectionism. Use the notes you made of the effects while
reading but do not plagiarize. In your
introduction, explain what perfectionism entails and why it is rampant. In your
development, discuss the negative effects of perfectionism for the individual
and society. In your conclusion, discuss solutions.
PITFALLS OF PERFECTIONISM: http://www.psychologytoday.com.
ANSWER KEY AND NOTES
It is recommended that you ask the students to make notes of the
negative effects of perfectionism as they work through the text. This will make
transition to the writing task easier and save time. Once you complete work on
the text, you could ask the students to tell you what these effects are, put
them on the board and discuss organization.
1.
It
turns people into success slaves. Although
this kind of question can never be asked on a test because it looks as though it has multiple answers, most native
speakers would give this answer for obvious reasons. I feel the students would
benefit from learning basic reasoning skills.
2.
Pressure
on children to achieve; parents now seek much of their status from the performance
of kids.
3.
The
fact that perfectionism reduces creativity and innovation.
4.
You
are focused on feedback and improving your performance.
5.
The
previous sentence.
6.
Open
ended. You may want have the students
read and answer questions up to this point and stop to check answers and have a mid-reading discussion here. The
rest of the text can and should be broken up in the same way if you are
concerned about short attention spans. It is your call.
7.
High
standards
8.
The
extent to which people are worried about mistakes
9.
Intolerance
for uncertainty
10.
Intolerance
for uncertainty
11.
The
unspoken belief or doubt in a child’s mind that he is incompetent or unworthy; hypercriticalness
and the rigid adherence to strict standards of performance
12.
Concern
with mistakes
13.
He
becomes compliant and self focused.
14.
Excellence involves enjoying what you are
doing, feeling good…Perfectionism involves feeling bad about a 98…
15.
It
leads people to conceal their mistakes; because they do poorly on tests or
because people learn to write by showing their work to others and having it
critiqued.
16.
Physical
(implied), cognitively based academic performance
17.
Parents’
own perfectionism and parents’ separation anxiety
18.
Their
own adult relationships are less than fulfilling.
19.
Children
come to feel that their failure to accomplish will seriously diminish the
affection, regard and esteem with which parents view them as individuals.
20.
How
you handle getting things wrong because this is where creativity, passion and
perseverance come into play.
21.
Children
of first generation immigrants; they are resourceful, hardworking and good at
problem solving; their parents didn’t speak English well so they had to learn
to figure out things for themselves, they couldn’t rely on their parents.
22.
It
consumes more and more of the self
23.
It
does not imply that affection or approval is conditional on good performance
24.
Saying
“You’re brilliant” or rewarding with a gift for instance. Answers will vary.
25.
Open
ended
VOCABULARY
1.
Rigidify,
constrict 2. Not plainly expressed but present, disturbing 3. To be under the
control of 4. Unpleasant, tiring or disturbing 5. Deeply disturbing, intrinsic
6. Contingent on 7. Damaging 8. Something they can’t tear themselves away from.
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