Perfectionism, self-compassion and self-regulation of learning: A structural equation analysis

Self-critical perfectionism has been regarded as a key factor that threatens students' affective and academic adjustment. Perfectionism researchers have recently suggested that self-compassion is pertinent to overcoming self-critical perfectionism. Among undergraduates and community adults in Western societies, a growing body of studies suggest that self-compassion, i.e. nonjudgmental kindness toward oneself with mindful awareness of one's thoughts and feelings, can reduce excessive self-criticism and promote emotional well-being. However, although one may conjecture that reduced self-criticism and better well-being will be facilitative to students’ learning trajectories, little is known whether self-compassion does alleviate self-critical perfectionism, reinforce positive striving perfectionism and promote school-age students' academic adjustment, such as self-regulated learning (SRL). Hence, situated in a competitive Chinese education context, this paper aims to outline the key findings of an investigation that looks into the mediating role of self-compassion in the relationship between perfectionism and use of SRL strategies. 398 7th to 9th graders, including 38 academically talented students, were recruited in Hong Kong to complete a questionnaire. Results from structural equation modeling supported a mediation model of perfectionism, self-compassion and strategy use for SRL. The findings will offer theoretical and practical implications to future research and school-based intervention. Implications regarding the role of self-compassion and the group differences between average and academically talented students will be discussed.