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Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (FMPS)

Thirty-five statements distinguish high standards and organization from self-critical concern, doubt, and remembered parental pressure.

Method and research sources

What FMPS measures

FMPS separates concern over mistakes, personal standards, perceived parental expectations, perceived parental criticism, doubts about actions, and organization. Modern research often also groups these into perfectionistic concerns and perfectionistic strivings.

How scoring works

All 35 items score directly from 1 to 5; there are no reverse-scored items. Six subscale sums are reported. The total combines 29 items and deliberately excludes organization because it correlates differently with the other dimensions.

Method and sources

The original study introduced the six dimensions. A major conceptual review distinguishes strivings from concerns, and a later Rasch analysis examines measurement quality.

  1. Original publication
    The dimensions of perfectionism

    Randy O. Frost, Patricia Marten, Cathleen Lahart, Robin Rosenblate

    1990
  2. Scientific review2006
  3. Validation study2018

Keep exploring the topic

Related resources address procrastination, burnout, self-worth, and anxiety—not a diagnosis.

Useful reading

Perfectionism: why “perfect” can stop you from finishing

How to distinguish necessary quality from endless revision, agree on completion criteria and test a fear of mistakes through a safe task.

Procrastination and the inner critic: why pressure makes it harder to begin

Understand the procrastination cycle, how self-criticism maintains it, and which small experiments can move you from pressure towards action.

Related tests

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Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale (CIPS)

Use the 20-item Clance scale to reflect on discounting success, fear of exposure, luck attribution, and impostor feelings.

Find a psychologist who works with perfectionismRelated groupsRelated events

Questions about FMPS

Is perfectionism always harmful?

No. High standards or organization can be useful. Risk rises when self-worth depends on flawless performance or mistakes trigger severe shame, avoidance, or overwork.

Why is organization excluded from the total?

In the original research it related less strongly to the other perfectionism dimensions. It remains visible as its own scale instead of being treated as inherently problematic.

Do parent scores prove what my parents intended?

No. They describe your remembered perception of expectations and criticism, not an objective judgment of another person's motives.