Question

Regarding motivation for studying, the results were as expected. Self-oriented perfectionism showed positive correlations with autonomous reasons for studying (intrinsic reasons and extrinsic reasons), and socially prescribed perfectionism showed positive correlations with controlled reasons (introjected reasons and extrinsic reasons). Whereas self-oriented perfectionism also showed a positive bivariate correlation with introjected reasons, this correlation became non-significant when partial correlations were regarded and the overlap between self-oriented and socially prescribed perfectionism was controlled for (see Table 2). Moreover, socially prescribed perfectionism showed a significant negative correlation with intrinsic reasons when the overlap with self-oriented perfectionism was controlled for.

Regarding test anxiety, the results were largely as expected. Socially prescribed perfectionism showed positive correlations with total anxiety in both the bivariate and the partial correlations (see Table 2). Moreover, it showed positive correlations with interference and with lack of confidence in all correlations. In contrast, self-oriented perfectionism showed negative correlations with interference and with lack of confidence, but positive correlations with worry. As expected, the finding confirmed that self-oriented perfectionism is an ambivalent form of perfectionism as it was associated with both higher anxiety (worry) and lower anxiety (interference, lack of confidence) in exams. Unexpectedly, socially prescribed perfectionism showed no significant correlation with worry, and self-oriented perfectionism showed no significant correlation with total anxiety. Moreover, neither form of perfectionism showed any significant correlations with emotionality. Table 2:

1. What kind of study design is this (experimental or correlational)?

2. If experimental, what is the independent variable?

3. If experimental, what is the dependent variable?

4. What kind of statistical test did the author run, and how do you know the used this test?

5. What do you think the null and alternative hypotheses are in this study?

Answer 1

1. This is a correlational study.

2. The independent variable is perfectionism type.

3. The dependent variables are motivation (intrinsic and extrinsic) and test anxiety.

4. The author is likely to have used Pearson r correlation in the study. This is because an attempt is being made to establish the nature and strength of the relationship between the variables.

5. Null hypothesis 1: Perfectionism type has no significant relationship with motivation.

Null hypothesis 2: Perfectionism type has no significant relationship with test anxiety.

Alternative hypothesis 1: Perfectionism type has a significant relationship with motivation.

Alternative hypothesis 2: Perfectionism type has a significant relationship with test anxiety.