Date of Graduation

5-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology

Degree Level

Undergraduate

Department

Psychological Science

Advisor/Mentor

Matt Judah

Committee Member

Scott Eidelman

Second Committee Member

Byron Zamboanga

Third Committee Member

Spencer Allen

Abstract

Chronic indecisiveness is a pervasive issue that can negatively impact academic, occupational, and psychological functioning. Although prior research has identified anxiety and perfectionism as relevant correlates of indecisiveness, less is known about how these factors uniquely and jointly contribute to decision-making difficulties. The present study examined the relationships between trait anxiety, multidimensional perfectionism, and indecisiveness in a sample of 199 undergraduate students at the University of Arkansas. Participants completed self-report measures assessing anxiety (STICSA), perfectionism (Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale), and indecisiveness (Revised Indecisiveness Scale). Zero-order correlations and multiple regression analyses were conducted to evaluate both overall and dimension-specific effects. Results indicated that trait anxiety was consistently and positively associated with indecisiveness. Overall perfectionism was not significantly related to indecisiveness; however, important differences emerged at the dimensional level. Maladaptive perfectionism—specifically concern over mistakes and doubts about actions—was positively associated with indecisiveness, whereas adaptive perfectionism, reflected in high personal standards, was negatively associated with indecisiveness. No significant interaction effects were found, suggesting that anxiety and perfectionism independently contribute to decision-making difficulties. These findings highlight the importance of studying perfectionism at a dimensional level and suggest that interventions targeting anxiety and maladaptive perfectionistic tendencies may help reduce chronic indecisiveness among college students. Further, these findings suggests that indecisiveness is functionally impairing and should be assessed as an outcome variable of interest in future research.

Keywords

Indecisiveness; Anxiety; Perfectionism; Maladaptive perfectionism; Trait anxiety; Decision-making

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