title: Perfect error processing: Perfectionism-related variations in action monitoring and error processing mechanisms.
abstract: Showing excellent performance and avoiding poor performance are the main characteristics of perfectionists. Perfectionism-related variations (N=94) in neural correlates of performance monitoring were investigated in a flanker task by assessing two perfectionism-related trait dimensions: Personal standard perfectionism (PSP), reflecting intrinsic motivation to show error-free performance, and evaluative concern perfectionism (ECP), representing the worry of being poorly evaluated based on bad performance. A moderating effect of ECP and PSP on error processing - an important performance monitoring system - was investigated by examining the error (-related) negativity (Ne/ERN) and the error positivity (Pe). The smallest Ne/ERN difference (error-correct) was obtained for pure-ECP participants (high-ECP-low-PSP), whereas the highest difference was shown for those with high-ECP-high-PSP (i.e., mixed perfectionists). Pe was positively correlated with PSP only. Our results encouraged the cognitive-bias hypothesis suggesting that pure-ECP participants reduce response-related attention to avoid intense error processing by minimising the subjective threat of negative evaluations. The PSP-related variations in late error processing are consistent with the participants' high in PSP goal-oriented tendency to optimise their behaviour.
authors.affiliation: University of Cologne, Germany. Electronic address: jutta.stahl@uni-koeln.de.
authors.forename: Jutta
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stahl
authors.affiliation: University of Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Acharki
authors.affiliation: University of Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kresimon
authors.affiliation: University of Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Frederike
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Völler
authors.affiliation: University of Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Henning
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gibbons
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011594:Psychometrics; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Action monitoring; Error processing; Event-related potentials; Individual differences; Perfectionism