Abstract
People high in socially prescribed perfectionism (SPP; i.e., those who perceive others demand perfection of them) behave in ways that are incongruent with their efforts to be perfect. The present research suggests SPP is associated with a cycle of perfectionistic discrepancies, perfectionistic self-presentation, depressive affect, and self-defeating behaviors (i.e., binge eating, procrastination, interpersonal conflict). When testing the model, 317 undergraduates completed structured daily diaries. Results of multilevel structural equation modeling largely supported hypotheses. People high in SPP experience patterns of self-evaluation, self-presentation, and affect that are associated with their self-defeating behaviors. These behaviors undermine their efforts to be or look perfect for others and set the stage for yet another go around in their cycle of self-defeat.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 700-709 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | Journal of Research in Personality |
| Volume | 46 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2012 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:This manuscript was supported by a Health Research Project Grant from the Nova Scotia Health Research Foundation. Aislin R. Mushquash was supported by a Canada Graduate Scholarship from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. We thank Megan MacDonald, Minzhou Sun, Maija Tiesmaki, Jillian Tonet, and Joyce Yu for their research assistance. We thank Dayna L. Sherry for providing statistical consultation and assistance in preparing this manuscript.
ASJC Scopus Subject Areas
- Social Psychology
- General Psychology