PFI
Perfectionism Facets Inventory
This exploratory questionnaire describes the facets of perfectionism: high standards for oneself and for others, fear of mistakes, doubts and checking, perceived pressure from others, self-worth tied to achievement, and procrastination and avoidance. Found in anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and occupational burnout, perfectionism can become a treatment target in its own right, and the profile shows which facets to start with.
- Number of questions
- 28 questions
- Estimated duration
- 7 minutes
- Language
- English
- Original name
- Perfectionism Facets Inventory
- Target audience
- Adults
- Category
- Burnout, Self-esteem, Anxiety
- Exploratory questionnaire
- Exploratory questionnaire
Preview of the 28 questions
Scoring & interpretation
Scoring
| Perceived pressure from others | 12 / 16 |
The feeling that others expect perfection and will not accept failure.
Areas to explore: the people these expectations come from, what they actually say, the family and school history of these demands.
See also: HF-MPS.
| Doubts and checking | 11 / 16 |
Doubt about the quality of what has been done, checking, seeking confirmation, and time lost on details.
Areas to explore: what is checked or redone, how much time it takes, the relief it brings and how long that relief lasts.
| Procrastination and avoidance | 9 / 16 |
Tasks put off, abandoned, or never started for fear of not doing them perfectly.
Areas to explore: the tasks put off or abandoned, what the person dreads about getting started, the consequences of putting things off (last-minute rushes, guilt, delays).
See also: PPS.
| High standards for others | 8 / 16 |
High standards for loved ones or coworkers, difficulty delegating, irritation at what others do.
Areas to explore: the people involved, the effect on relationships (tension, distance), the overload that comes from difficulty delegating.
See also: HF-MPS.
| High standards for oneself | 4 / 16 |
Very high goals the person sets for themselves, hard to reach and not very satisfying once reached.
Areas to explore: the areas involved (work, school, home, sports, appearance), what these standards cost in time and fatigue, what the person fears would happen if they relaxed them.
See also: APS-R, FMPS.
| Fear of mistakes | 4 / 16 |
Fear of getting things wrong, with mistakes experienced as serious, dwelt on, and a source of shame.
Areas to explore: the reaction to a recent mistake, what the person imagines will happen if they get something wrong, where this fear comes from.
See also: FMPS.
| Self-worth tied to achievement | 4 / 16 |
Self-worth that depends on results: feeling worthy of esteem only when succeeding or being productive.
Areas to explore: what the person's worth rests on apart from their results, their reaction to a recent failure, what is set aside for the sake of performance (rest, relationships, leisure).
See also: Self-Esteem Inventory.
No validated clinical or psychometric cutoffs have been established for this test yet. The results should therefore be considered exploratory indicators, meant to support the clinical interview, not diagnostic findings.
Scoring
Each statement is scored from 0 (never) to 4 (very often) based on its frequency in everyday life. Each domain combines 4 statements spread throughout the questionnaire, giving a score from 0 to 16.
Reading the profile
There is no total score. Domains are ranked from most to least elevated, each with a description of what it covers and points to explore in the interview. High standards for oneself become a problem mainly when they come with fear of mistakes, perceived pressure from others, or self-worth that depends on achievement, the facets most closely linked to anxiety and depression. An elevated "Procrastination and avoidance" domain shows that perfectionism can also hold back action.
Clinical cautions
Lengthy, ritualized checking that the person experiences as excessive points instead toward obsessive-compulsive disorder, which should be explored in the interview. When the standards concern weight, shape, or eating, the Eating and Body Image Inventory completes the assessment.
Limitations
This exploratory questionnaire has not undergone psychometric validation and has no cutoffs. It supports the clinical interview and does not provide a diagnosis.
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