Perfectionism and Stress as Predictors of Academic Self-Efficacy, Self-Concept, and Burnout: A Test of the Vulnerability Stress Model

Introduction: Self-critical perfectionism and stress have been implicated as risk factors for maladaptive academic outcomes (i.e., decreased academic self-efficacy, decreased academic self-concept, and increased academic burnout). The present study investigated a vulnerability-stress model, testing whether perfectionism (self-critical and rigid) moderates the relationship between stressor severity (academic and interpersonal) and academic outcomes. Method: A sample of 384 post-secondary students (76.8% women, average age: 20.06) completed a cross-sectional survey involving questionnaires assessing the constructs of interest. Results: Stressor severity (both academic and interpersonal) predicted decreased academic self-efficacy and academic self-concept, as well as increased academic burnout, when controlling for perfectionism. Self-critical perfectionism predicted decreased academic self-efficacy and increased academic burnout, when controlling for stressor severity. Main effects of rigid perfectionism generally predicted increased academic self-efficacy and increased academic self-concept when controlling for stressor severity. None of the proposed interaction effects were statistically significant, failing to support a vulnerability-stress model. Discussion: Findings suggest that stressor severity (both academic and interpersonal) and self-critical perfectionism are strong predictors of maladaptive academic outcomes and may serve as risk factors for poor academic functioning. The lack of an interaction effect suggests that a vulnerability-stress model may not explain why perfectionism leads to maladaptive academic outcomes.