Perfectionism and the Interpersonal: Considerations From the Sociocultural Model of the Self

Comments on the article by K. Ferber et al. (see record 2024-72463-001), a systematic review and meta-analysis of perfectionism and social anxiety. To be sure, sociocultural forces are not the only or even a distinct pathway to a perfectionistic self. We know that perfectionism is a complicated phenomenon arising from the complex intersections of multiple layers of risk, across individual, family, and sociocultural context. By more fully accounting for how perfectionistic concerns are dynamically and mutually constituted within a sociocultural context (Stephens et al., 2012), we may better capture the full continuum of human experience. In this way, we open up new possibilities for understanding and tackling the range of perfectionism’s tragic emotional costs. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)