Wednesday, October 3, 2012

PITFALLS OF PERFECTIONISM


PITFALLS OF PERFECTIONISM
Level of difficulty: ***
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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