Technique 1.116 Frost Multidimensional Perfectionists Scale (FMPS)
Introduction
FMPS was developed by Dr Randy Frost (1990). It is a self-assessment technique which has 35 statements; divided into 4 subscales, ie
"...i) certain other mistakes and doubts about actions
ii) excessive concern for parents' expectations and evaluation
iii) excessively high personal standards
iv) concern with precision, order and organisations..."
NovoPsych, 2022
Some examples of perfectionism include setting excessively high standards, tendency to be overcritical of your own performance, behaviours, etc as shown by concerns for mistakes and uncertainty regarding actions and beliefs.
Responses to these statements will help to identify the underlying causes of perfectionism.
Generally perfectionism is not helpful as it can cause anxiety, insomnia, social phobia, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, anorexia, etc
Questionnaire
Please answer the following questions in relation to how they apply to you by ticking the appropriate box from 'strongly disagree' to 'strongly agree'.
Do not spend too much time at any one question.
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Statements/Answers
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Strongly Disagree(1)
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Disagree(2)
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Neutral(3)
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Agree(4)
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Strongly Agree(5)
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| 1. My parent set very high standards for me*ii | |||||
| 2. Organisation is very important to me*iv | |||||
| 3. As a child, I was punished for doing things less than perfectly*ii | |||||
| 4. If I do not set the highest standards for myself, I am likely to end up a second-rate person*iii | |||||
| 5. My parents never tried to understand my mistakes*ii | |||||
| 6. It is important to me that I be thoroughly confident in what I do*iii | |||||
| 7. I am a neat person*iv | |||||
| 8. I try to be an organised person*iv | |||||
| 9. If I fail at work/school, I'm a failure as a person*i | |||||
| 10. I should be upset if I make a mistake*i | |||||
| 11. My parents wanted me to be the best at everything*ii | |||||
| 12. I set higher goals than most people*iii | |||||
| 13. If someone does a task at school/work better than I do, then I feel as if I've failed the whole task*i | |||||
| 14. If I fail partly, it is as bad as being a complete failure*i | |||||
| 15. Only outstanding performance is good enough in my family*ii | |||||
| 16. I'm very good at focusing my efforts on attaining a goal*iii | |||||
| 17. Even when I do something very carefully, I often feel that it is not quite right*i | |||||
| 18. I hate being less than the best at things*i | |||||
| 19. I have extremely high goals*iii | |||||
| 20. My parents expected excellence from me*ii | |||||
| 21. People will probably think less of me if I make a mistake*i | |||||
| 22. I never feel that I can meet my parents' expectations*ii | |||||
| 23. If I do not do as well as other people, it means I am an inferior being*i | |||||
| 24. Other people seem to accept lower standards from themselves than I do*iii | |||||
| 25. If I do not do well all the time, people will not respect me*i | |||||
| 26. My parents always had high expectations for my future than I had*ii | |||||
| 27. I tried to be a neat person*iv | |||||
| 28. I usually have doubts about the simple everyday things that I do*i | |||||
| 29. Neatness is very important to me*iv | |||||
| 30. I expect higher performance in my daily task than most people*iii | |||||
| 31. I am an organised person*iv | |||||
| 32. I tend to get behind in my work because I repeat things over and over*i | |||||
| 33. It takes me a long time to do something 'right'*i | |||||
| 34 The fewer mistakes I make, the more people will like me*i | |||||
| 35. I never feel that I can meet my parents' standards*ii |
Notes
i) statements that are relevant to the subscale 'concern over mistakes and doubts about action'
ii) statements that are relevant to the subscale 'excessive concern with parents' expectations and evaluation'
iii) statements that are relevant to the subscale 'excessive by personal standards'
iv) statements that are relevant to the subscale 'concern with precision, order and organisation'
NB
High scores for each of the subscales can indicate possible problems and exacerbate functionality.