“It’s never going to be perfect even though I want it to be”: Quantitatively and qualitatively investigating honors and non-honors students’ experiences of perfectionism and related variables

• Main Author: Hartung, Julie A.
• Format: Others
• Published: Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University 2021
• Subjects: perfectionism; imposter syndrome; honors; non-honors; quantitative; qualitative; mixed methods; Communication
• Online Access: https://dc.etsu.edu/honors/631; https://dc.etsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1776&context=honors

Previous research has demonstrated that students in university honors programs may be distinct from their non-honors counterparts. To further examine these differences and the overall experiences of honors students, this thesis utilized a Study 1/Study 2 mixed methodology design to examine the experiences of honors students within East Tennessee State University’s University Honors Scholars program. Study One quantitatively examined the differences between honors and non-honors students’ levels of perfectionism, imposter syndrome, and academic and social competitiveness. Findings from Study One inspired Study Two, which qualitatively examined honors students’ experiences with perfectionism, uncovering the sources and effects of their perfectionistic behaviors. Combined, these findings indicate that not only do honors students experience higher levels of perfectionism than non-honors students, likely stemming from the expectations and standards held by the honors program, but also that their perfectionistic behaviors are overall maladaptive and are used to avoid failure rather than in the pursuit of success.