About this resource
Perfectionism is kept going by beliefs about what will happen if standards slip. This worksheet sets up an experiment: choose a low-risk area, predict what will happen with a good enough standard, try it, record what happened and what was learned.
Purpose
To test perfectionistic beliefs through real-world experiments.
Who it is for
Primary profession: Psychologists. Also relevant for counsellors and therapists.
Client or participant group: Adolescents and adults with perfectionism in treatment.
Practice setting: Psychology sessions and between-session practice.
Suggested uses
- Perfectionism treatment
- Procrastination
- Burnout
- Between-session practice
Instructions for practitioners
- Choose a low-risk area first.
- Make predictions specific.
- Review outcomes and learning.
- Plan the next experiment.
Instructions for clients or participants
- Choose an area.
- Write your prediction.
- Try good enough and record what happened.
Accessibility considerations
Can be completed verbally.
Scope and limitations
An educational CBT-informed worksheet for use within treatment.
Research basis
Perfectionism and procrastination are well-studied patterns that keep distress going; cognitive behavioural approaches to perfectionism have growing evidence. Behavioural experiments test predictions in real life and are an established cognitive therapy method. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) has a strong research base for anxiety, depression and many related problems; this resource uses CBT techniques to support, not replace, a structured treatment plan.
- Beck, J. S. (2021). Cognitive behavior therapy: Basics and beyond (3rd ed.). Guilford Press.
- Bennett-Levy, J., Butler, G., Fennell, M., Hackmann, A., Mueller, M., & Westbrook, D. (2004). Oxford guide to behavioural experiments in cognitive therapy. Oxford University Press.
- Egan, S. J., Wade, T. D., & Shafran, R. (2011). Perfectionism as a transdiagnostic process: A clinical review. Clinical Psychology Review, 31(2), 203–212. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2010.04.009
- Hofmann, S. G., Asnaani, A., Vonk, I. J. J., Sawyer, A. T., & Fang, A. (2012). The Efficacy of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: A Review of Meta-analyses. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 36(5), 427–440. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-012-9476-1
- Steel, P. (2007). The nature of procrastination: A meta-analytic and theoretical review of quintessential self-regulatory failure. Psychological Bulletin, 133(1), 65–94. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.133.1.65
What is included
A 2-page printable A4 PDF, including a practitioner notes page with the research basis (version 1.0).
Originality
Original Practitioner Plus content: wording, activity structure, layout and icons were created for this resource. No third-party worksheets, illustrations or text were reproduced. Reflects the established use of behavioural experiments in cognitive behavioural therapy.
