Colors of perfectionism - How experimental feedbacks change physiology using Mandalas

Although the link between perfectionism, performance, and feedback has been widely studied, findings remain inconclusive, partly due to the lack of objective assessment methods. Biological correlates, such as heart rate variability, may help clarify these relationships. This study investigates physiological responses to performance feedback during a coloring task and examines the association between perfectionism and task performance. Eighty-three participants (Mage = 20.74, SD = 3.41), including 64 females, completed the study, with perfectionism assessed using the Short Almost Perfect Scale (SAPS). Heart rate variability (HRV) was recorded to assess autonomic nervous system activity. Participants took part in an experimental intervention involving a 10-min mandala coloring task, during which they received positive, negative, and neutral performance feedback. Higher High Standards scores were significantly associated with fewer correctly colored pixels (τ = −0.161, p = .036) and reduced overall coverage (τ = −0.153, p = .046), and these associations remained significant after controlling for age and gender. Higher Discrepancy scores were also significantly associated with fewer correctly colored pixels (τ = −0.153, p = .046) and reduced overall coverage (τ = −0.150, p = .049), although these associations were no longer significant after controlling for age and gender. Neither perfectionism dimension was significantly associated with HRV responses to evaluative feedback. Exploratory analyses revealed associations between HRV responses to evaluative feedback and overall coloring performance. The results suggest that different dimensions of perfectionism are associated with task performance, while physiological responses to evaluative feedback are related to overall coloring performance.