Who is the FMPS for? Students, adults, and suitability
Was the FMPS designed for students?
The original 1990 research was conducted substantially with college student samples, and a great deal of later FMPS research has also used university students. That is unusual among the scales covered here, several of which were developed in clinical or general-population samples.
It means the questionnaire’s wording tends to sit comfortably with student life. It does not mean a result explains a student’s exam stress, or that being a student makes the FMPS the right choice.
Can teenagers use it?
Do not assume that research in undergraduates validates the questionnaire for every younger age. Separate perfectionism measures exist for children and adolescents, and a professional can choose an age-appropriate one and interpret it alongside developmental and family context.
The parental items deserve particular care with a younger student who is still living in the situation being asked about. A school counsellor is better placed than a questionnaire to handle what those answers may raise.
If you are a younger student, you can describe the difficulty to a trusted adult without obtaining a score first. If one adult is not available or helpful, another appropriate person may be a better starting point.
What if the parental questions do not fit my situation?
The parental subscales assume a particular kind of history, and that assumption does not hold for everyone. People raised by grandparents, in care, by a single parent, by step-parents, or after bereavement may find the items difficult to answer as written.
You have three reasonable options: answer about whoever raised you and note that you did, leave the parental items aside and use the other four subscales, or decide the questionnaire is not the right fit. None of these is cheating.
Whichever you choose, record it with the result. A profile missing two subscales is interpretable if you know they are missing and meaningless if you do not.
What if English is not my first language?
Use a version you can understand precisely. Several FMPS items turn on fine distinctions — between a standard and a fear, between disapproval and disappointment — and those distinctions are exactly what an informal translation tends to lose.
A validated translation has evidence behind its wording. Translating a few phrases yourself and assuming the published ranges still apply is not equivalent. If someone administers the FMPS to you professionally, ask which language version it is.
Can a parent or teacher use a score to make decisions?
No. The FMPS has no cutoff, so there is no threshold on which to base a decision, and it is a self-report measure that only the person answering can complete. Guessing a student’s responses does not produce their result.
If you are supporting someone, the useful part is the conversation the profile opens, not the numbers. A high concern over mistakes score is an invitation to ask what happens when they make one.
Avoid using a low score to dismiss a difficulty a student is describing, or a high score to predict what they will achieve.
When is another questionnaire more useful?
The FMPS describes a general pattern. If your question is about a specific recent period, a timeframed questionnaire will answer it better.
- For how the last month has felt overall: the PSS-10.
- For anxiety symptoms over two weeks: the GAD-7.
- For a broad snapshot of a heavy four weeks: the K10.
- For sleep difficulties and their daytime impact: the ISI.
- For physical anxiety symptoms over the last week: the BAI.
Do I need a score before asking for help?
No. “I cannot finish anything because it is never good enough” is a complete description of a problem. If you choose to use the FMPS, treat it as one way to organise that account.
The results page offers prompts for an appointment and links to support that can be used internationally.
This page is educational. A questionnaire score cannot establish a diagnosis or explain the cause of your symptoms. If you are struggling, speak with a counselor or healthcare professional, whatever your score.
Read how to ask for support or find a helpline in your country.