Development of a model for perfectionism-related variations in error processing: Testing the optimisation hypothesis and the avoidance hypothesis in a multimodal approach

从理性的角度来看，错误是行为偏离预期目标的结果。因此，错误的性能可以用作优化未来行为的信息。具有高个人标准的完美主义者似乎成功地遵循了这一策略。从情感的角度来看，错误可以被视为个人失败的标志，因此会引起大量的担忧，尤其是在评估型完美主义者中。因此，完美主义可能是福也是祸。本项目将研究用多模态方法处理错误的变化。我们提出了一个与完美主义相关的错误处理变异模型，该模型包含两个核心假设：优化假设和回避假设。这些假设将在一系列的三个电生理研究（研究1和4各：N = 84，研究3:N = 134）和一个行为研究（N = 74）中进行检验。我们想通过考虑(a)几个行为参数（例如反应时间，错误率），(b)事件相关电位的两个错误特定组件（错误负性，错误正性），以及(c)多变量模式分析的特定指标，系统地检查与完美主义相关的假设。完美主义在错误证据积累中的相关变化将通过漂移-扩散模型分析进行检验，这是一种模拟决策过程的数学方法。一个新开发的范式与八个备选的回答将被用作任务，其目的是增加错误率的方差相比，更简单的任务。研究1是对先前研究结果的概念复制，具有更高的任务难度。在研究2和研究3中，我们将更详细地研究回避假设（假设纯粹的关注评估的完美主义者尽可能避免错误处理）和优化假设（假设具有高个人标准的完美主义者试图收集尽可能多的关于他们行为的信息）的预测。为此，参与者将有机会避免错误处理，或者从他们的行动结果中尽可能多地使用信息。在最后一项研究中，错误接受练习将用于检查是否减少与错误相关的担忧导致减少避免错误，从而改善错误处理，特别是对评估关注的完美主义者。本研究的结果将提供对基本错误处理机制变化的见解，这可能有助于制定干预措施以减少不健康的完美主义错误处理策略。

From a rational perspective, an error is the result of an action that deviates from the expected goal. Thus, an erroneous performance can be used as information to optimize future behaviour. Perfectionists with high personal standards seem to follow this strategy successfully. From an emotional perspective, an error can be regarded as a sign of personal failure and thus induce a high amount of worrying, especially in evaluative-concerns perfectionists. Thus, perfectionism can be boon and bane at the same time. The present project will investigate variations in error processing with a multimodal approach. We present a model of perfectionism-related variations in error processing with two core hypotheses: optimization hypothesis and avoidance hypothesis. The hypotheses will be examined in a series of three electrophysiological studies (Studies 1 and 4 each: N = 84, Study 3: N = 134) and one behavioural study (N = 74). We want to systematically examine the perfectionism-related hypotheses by considering (a) several behavioural parameters (e.g. response time, error rates), (b) two error-specific components of the event-related potential (error negativity, error positivity), and (c) specific indicators of the multivariate pattern analysis. Perfectionism-related variations in error-evidence accumulation will be examined by drift-diffusion model analyses—a mathematical approach to model decision-making processes. A newly developed paradigm with eight response alternatives will be used as task, which is aimed at increasing the variance of error rates compared to simpler tasks. Study 1 serves as a conceptual replication of previous findings with a higher task difficulty. In Study 2 and Study 3, we will examine the predictions of the avoidance hypothesis (the assumption that pure evaluation-concerned perfectionists avoid error processing if possible) and those of the optimization hypothesis (the assumption that perfectionists with high personal standards are trying to gather as much information about their actions as possible) more detailed. For this purpose, participants will be given the opportunity to either avoid error processing or to use as much information as possible from the outcome of their actions. In the last study, an error acceptance exercise will be used to examine if a reduction of error-related worrying leads to a reduction of the avoidance of errors and thus to an improvement of error processing, especially for evaluative-concerns perfectionists. The results of the studies will provide insights into variations of basic error processing mechanisms, which may be beneficial for the development of interventions to reduce unhealthy perfectionistic error processing strategies.