New research from Dr Thomas Curran adds further depth to an increasingly important conversation about perfectionism and the pressures facing young people.

Published in Psychological Bulletin, the study draws on 35 years of data from almost 100,000 college students across the US, UK and Canada. Its findings suggest that perfectionism is not only rising but accelerating, and that the causes may go deeper than the influence of smartphones and social media, with wider economic and societal pressures also playing a role.

It’s a significant addition to Thomas’s long-standing work in this field and to the questions he explores with audiences: where our expectations of achievement come from, the consequences of a growing fear of failure, and how we might rethink our relationship with success.

Research of this scale brings valuable new evidence to that conversation, and gives organisations another reason to look carefully at the cultures and expectations we create.

You can read the full paper from the American Psychological Association.

Psychologist and perfectionism speaker Dr. Thomas Curran joins the Hidden Brain podcast.

Perfectionism is everyone’s favourite flaw. It’s easy to assume that our push to be perfect is what leads to academic, athletic, and professional success. But how do we distinguish between high standards and unrealistic expectations? Hidden Brain brings you a favourite conversation with psychologist Dr. Thomas Curran. Amongst other fascinating take-homes, Thomas says perfectionism has a dark side, and that there are much healthier ways to strive for excellence.

https://www.hiddenbrain.org/podcast/escaping-perfectionism/

Psychologist and perfectionism speaker Dr Thomas Curran joins the Wiggle Talk podcast to share how perfectionism develops in childhood and how it can affect confidence and wellbeing. He reveals the early warning signs and offers practical ways to support children in building a healthy sense of self.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w97s7dNmeu4