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Latest BYU Studies volume presents research on toxic perfectionism, religion

In early January, BYU’s research journal BYU Studies released its latest volume, guest edited by the BYU Religious Education Professor Justin Dyer, all about toxic perfectionism and how it relates to religion.

The focus of the volume was understanding perfectionism — what makes it toxic, how it manifests, how it interacts with religion and how to heal from it.

“Sometimes we think we have to earn God’s love,” Dyer said. “No, God just loves us no matter what, and we’re of infinite worth, no matter what.”

Aside from guest editing the volume, Dyer also contributed an article titled “Perfectionism Across Adolescence.” In it, he discusses how perfectionism tends to ebb and flow as a person gets older — and how and why that might happen.

“Perfectionism does seem to increase across adolescence,” Dyer said. “It’s in a time of identity development ... and often we’re defining that by ‘where do I rank in my school?’”

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Justin Dyer giving a devotional titled "Choosing Christ’s Light Burden" in 2023. Dyer guest edited the volume. (YouTube: BYU Speeches)

Not only does perfectionism increase as teens get older, but there also seems to be more of it today than there has been in decades past.

“It seems like we probably have higher levels of toxic perfectionism in our day today than we did, say, 10, 20, 30 years ago,” Dyer said. “Part of that is likely because of the ability to constantly compare ourselves with others. … We now cast a much broader net in terms of what we can see.”

Jenet Erickson, another BYU religion professor, contributed an article titled “Parental Influence on Adolescent Perfectionism.” In it, she focuses on how parents’ parenting styles can affect their children.

In her article, Erickson begins with an anecdote from her own life — a moment in which she began to recognize unhealthy thought patterns in herself as a mother.

“As I watched the two younger children crawl around, I became acutely aware that our daughter, who had not yet started to crawl, was clearly behind these other children. A panicky feeling overtook me as I wrestled with what it meant to me that these children appeared to be ahead of mine,” Erickson wrote.

Jenet Erickson in an interview
Jenet Erickson speaking in a BYU Studies interview in 2023. Erickson's article was written to and about parents. (YouTube: BYU Studies)

Erickson emphasized that it is when a parent begins to see their child as a measure of their own self-worth, that problems can arise.

“I’m writing this to parents,” Erickson said. “There’s so much to a parent — learning to love and not make (their child) about their own validation.”

For Erickson and Dyer, this specific volume holds a lot of importance. Toxic perfectionism affects so many, and can easily taint interpersonal relationships.

The volume’s final article is titled “Healing from Toxic Perfectionism,” written by Debra McClendon — which Dyer regards as one of the more impactful articles written.

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A painting of Jesus printed on the cover of the latest BYU Studies volume. Justin Dyer found this volume to be especially impactful. (BYU Studies)

“That’s a really important article, because it helps take us through the steps … to recognize the negative thought patterns that we have with toxic perfectionism, and then how to dismantle those. And it also gives definitions of what (perfectionism is) in the first place, and then helps us to recognize it in ourselves,” Dyer said.

For Dyer, this BYU Studies volume is valuable because it not only presents further understanding about perfectionism, but it also provides a real solution.

One of the most surprising findings among all the research done for the volume is the fact that, “Contrary to what some may assume, religion overall is associated with lower levels of toxic perfectionism,” BYU professor Michael Goodman wrote in his article “Religion and Perfectionism.”

Despite the public generally assuming that religion exacerbates — or even causes — toxic perfectionism, that was not the case in any of the research done.

“There’s something about tapping into something that tells you you are valued, you are loved, you are treasured, and that there’s more than the material,” Erickson said. “When you don’t have religious faith, you’re limited to (thinking) life is a measure of these material … things.”

“Hopefully what we’ve done here is gonna be helpful,” Dyer said.

The volume is free to access at this website.