“Why Perfectionism May Not be So Perfect”: The Roles of Goal Conflict and Cognitive Load in Choice Difficulty

Abstract

Although perfectionism has been extensively studied in the fields of psychopathology and social psychology, its theoretical impact on individuals' choice difficulty remains unexplored. Therefore, this study aims to investigate whether individuals' level or state of perfectionism can influence their choice difficulty by examining scenarios of goal conflict and cognitive load. Two experimental studies were conducted to test the hypotheses. Study 1 examined how self-reported perfectionism and manipulated goal conflict influenced option evaluations, followed by a scenario varying in cognitive load. A total of 216 participants were randomly assigned to a 2 (goal conflict: low vs. high) × 2 (cognitive load: low vs. high) factorial design. Study 2 explored the effects of experimentally induced perfectionism on option evaluations, with goal conflict and cognitive load also manipulated. A total of 206 participants were randomly assigned to a 2 (perfectionism: control vs. perfectionistic) × 2 (goal conflict) × 2 (cognitive load) factorial design. The results demonstrate that for individuals with varying levels of perfectionism, contexts characterized by differing extents of goal conflict (low vs. high) and cognitive load (low vs. high) elicit different perceived levels of choice difficulty. This study addresses the limited attention given to perfectionism in the context of behavioral decision-making and psychology. Specifically, it aims to explore how individuals' perfectionism influences their perceived choice difficulty and examines the moderating effects of goal conflict and cognitive load in this context.