{"id":99562,"date":"2025-02-26T14:38:36","date_gmt":"2025-02-26T19:38:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/?p=99562"},"modified":"2025-02-26T16:51:54","modified_gmt":"2025-02-26T21:51:54","slug":"kindness-can-relieve-pressure-felt-by-perfectionistic-teens-brock-research","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/2025\/02\/kindness-can-relieve-pressure-felt-by-perfectionistic-teens-brock-research\/","title":{"rendered":"Kindness can relieve pressure felt by perfectionistic teens: Brock research"},"content":{"rendered":"

Teens who try to project a flawless image of themselves tend to get bullied more often and are less likely to receive kindness from their peers, says new Brock University research.<\/p>\n

But showing these teens affection and support may mitigate or even reduce the perfectionistic tendencies causing them much stress, says the study, \u201cPerfect fronts, fragile bonds: Prospective associations between perfectionistic self-presentation and peer experiences<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen young perfectionists experience kindness and acceptance from their peers, it can help them let go of that constant pressure to be perfect,\u201d says Associate Professor of Child and Youth Studies Danielle Sirianni Molnar, who led the study.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you’re a parent, teacher or friend, one of the best things you can do for a perfectionist is to show them that they\u2019re valued for who they are, not just for what they accomplish,\u201d says the Canada Research\u00a0Chair in Adjustment and Well-Being in Children and Youth.<\/p>\n

Adolescent perfectionists have excessively high standards, feel chronically dissatisfied, even if they achieve their high standards, engage in excessive comparison and think they need to be \u201cthe best\u201d as a way of staving off feeling worthless, among other characteristics.<\/p>\n

\u201cPerfectionistic self-presentation\u201d occurs when someone projects the best parts of themselves and covers up any mistakes they commit or flaws they may have.<\/p>\n

Lead author and Child and Youth Studies PhD student Melissa Blackburn says the study is the first of its kind to examine the relationship between perfectionistic self-presentation and peer relationships over time.<\/p>\n

\u201cYoung people often adopt perfectionistic self-presentation tendencies as a way to put their best foot forward and create connections with others,\u201d she says, noting the strategy often backfires and leaves perfectionistic youth feeling isolated from their peers. \u201cThis may be particularly harmful for teenagers, given that acceptance from peers plays a key role in their developing sense of self.\u201d<\/p>\n

The researchers \u2014 Blackburn, Sirianni Molnar, Professor of Child and Youth Studies Dawn Zinga and Psychology PhD student Hanna Puffer \u2014 recruited 239 adolescents between the ages of 13 and 19\u00a0years who filled out a series of surveys between October 2017 and November 2021.<\/p>\n

The surveys measured the participants\u2019 perfectionistic self-presentation strategies and the in-person experiences \u2014 both positive and negative \u2014 they had with their peers.<\/p>\n

The team found:<\/p>\n