The Influence of Personality, Parenting Styles, and Perfectionism on Performance Goal Orientation in High Ability Students

Abstract

The current study explores relationships among gender, perceived parenting style, the personality traits of conscientiousness and neuroticism, perfectionism, and achievement goal orientation in a high ability and high achieving young adult population. Using data from Honors College students at a Midwestern university, a path model suggests that neuroticism and conscientiousness are positively related to self-oriented perfectionism, whereas neuroticism and authoritarian parenting style are positively related to socially prescribed perfectionism. In addition, both self-oriented and socially prescribed perfectionism are positively related to performance goal orientation. However, personality traits and parenting style did not have significant relationships with performance goal orientation in the model. Potential reasons for these findings, along with educational implications and suggestions for future research, are discussed.