Perfectionism and attitudes toward cognitive enhancers (“smart drugs”)

• The use of cognitive enhancers (CEs) by students is on the rise.
• Does perfectionism correlate with positive attitudes toward CEs?
• Data from 272 university students were analyzed.
• Some dimensions of perfectionism showed positive correlations, others negative.
• Perfectionism is both a risk and a protective factor regarding the use of CEs.

Perfectionism is a personality disposition characterized by exceedingly high standards of performance and pressure to be perfect which may incline students to take cognitive enhancers (“smart drugs”) to boost their academic performance. So far, however, no study has investigated the relationships of multidimensional perfectionism and attitudes toward cognitive enhancers. The present study investigated these relationships in 272 university students examining different dimensions of perfectionism. Results showed that socially prescribed perfectionism, perfectionist concerns and doubts, and perceived parental pressure to be perfect showed positive correlations with attitudes favoring the use of cognitive enhancers. In contrast, self-oriented perfectionism, perfectionist personal standards, and organization showed negative correlations. The findings suggest that perfectionism may play a role as both a risk factor for and a protective factor against using cognitive enhancers depending on what dimensions of perfectionism are regarded.