Thesis (Ph.D.)--York University, 2005. Graduate Programme in Psychology. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 177-211). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/yorku/fullcit?pNR11566

Perfectionism has long been recognized as an important personality trait that has a significant impact on emotional and social well-being. More recently, it has been recognized that there is a stylistic aspect to perfectionism that focuses on a desire to appear perfect. This perfectionistic self-presentation, and in particular, the desire for concealment of imperfections, has been related to psychopathology in past research. However, it is proposed that perfectionistic self-presentation presents a particular concern from a clinical perspective because of it's indirect effects on pathology; a desire to conceal imperfections is especially problematic to the extent that it impacts the experience of therapy and the therapy relationship. The current study examined the cognitive, affective/physiological, and behavioral manifestations of perfectionistic self-presentation in a clinical sample. Ninety clinical subjects completed self-report measures of perfectionistic self-presentation, trait perfectionism, impression management, mood, appraisals, and self-handicapping. A brief structured assessment interview that included a discussion of past mistakes, was conducted by trained clinical interviewers. Physiological monitors recorded heart rate and skin conductance level throughout the interview, and the interview was videotaped. Post-interview measures of mood, appraisals, and self-handicapping, were also completed. Results at the bivariate level showed that the self-protective dimensions of perfectionistic self-presentation were associated with more distress both prior to and following the interview, higher heart rate and greater change in heart rate when discussing mistakes (and greater skin conductance for men), greater claims of disability from self-handicaps, and appraisals of the interviewer as both threatening (wanting more than the participant could provide) and disappointed following the interview. Regression analyses showed that the desire to avoid disclosing imperfections was a unique predictor of appraisals of threat over and above demographics, trait perfectionism, and other measures of distress (interaction anxiety and depression) and impression management, and of appraisals of the interviewer as disappointed following the interview, over and above demographics and trait perfectionism. The block change score for perfectionistic self-presentation predicting interviewer satisfaction was marginally significant over and above emotional distress and impression managment. The desire to avoid displaying imperfections was a unique predictor of lower threat appraisals. Perfectionistic self-presentation also predicted higher heart rate when discussing errors, over and above demographics and other measures of distress and impression management, and greater change in heart rate from relaxation; this relation held when controlling for demographics, trait perfectionism, and emotional distress and impression management. Perfectionistic self-presentation did not predict defensive behaviors and was not a unique predictor of self-reported negative affect. The results are discussed in terms of the implications for therapy and the therapeutic alliance. / Arts, Faculty of / Psychology, Department of / Graduate

The present study aimed to investigate the role of self-oriented and socially prescribed perfectionism in conjunction with stressful life experiences in suicidal ideation, potential, and prior attempts among depressed adolescents. Self-oriented perfectionism involves striving to meet one's own unrealistically high standards and evaluating one's performance stringently. Socially prescribed perfectionism involves the perception that significant others have very high expectations for oneself, which the perfectionist strives to meet. This study examined correlations between these perfectionism dimensions and suicidal ideation, potential or risk, and prior attempts in addition to investigating whether either perfectionism dimension accounted for additional variance in suicide outcomes beyond the established risk factors depression and hopelessness. Also examined was a moderational model whereby dimensions of perfectionism were hypothesized to interact with stress to predict suicide outcomes. A sample of 55 adolescents (41 females, 14 males) who met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - Fourth Edition (DSM-IV; APA, 1994) criteria for Major Depression (65.5%), Dysthymia (16.4%), or Depressive Disorder NOS (18.2%) completed self-report measures of perfectionism, daily hassles, depression, hopelessness, suicidal ideation, suicide potential, and prior suicidal attempts. Additionally, adolescents and one of their parents completed a diagnostic interview and a stress interview measuring major stressful experiences. Results revealed that self-oriented perfectionism was not correlated with any aspect of suicide; however, socially prescribed perfectionism was associated with suicide potential. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that self-oriented perfectionism did not account for unique variance in suicide outcomes, whereas, socially prescribed perfectionism predicted additional variance in suicide potential once depression and hopelessness were controlled. Regarding the moderational model, both self-oriented and socially prescribed perfectionism were found to interact with aspects of stress to predict suicidality. More specifically, self-oriented perfectionism interacted with daily hassles to predict suicide potential/risk. Socially prescribed perfectionism interacted with subjective and objective ratings of major stressful experiences and with daily hassles to predict suicide potential/risk. Neither perfectionism dimension interacted with stress to predict suicidal ideation or prior suicide attempts. Taken together, these findings suggest that among depressed adolescents, socially prescribed perfectionism is correlated with suicide risk and predicts unique variance in this suicide outcome beyond other established risk factors. Additionally, both selforiented and socially prescribed perfectionism act as vulnerability factors that are predictive of suicide potential when adolescents experience elevated levels of stress. As these relationships were apparent even after controlling for the contributions of depression and hopelessness to suicide, the results of this study highlight the importance of considering perfectionistic tendencies when evaluating suicide risk among youth. / Arts, Faculty of / Psychology, Department of / Graduate

Thesis (D. Min.)--Denver Seminary, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 237-264).

Text in Afrikaans / The purpose of this study was to determine the nature, origin and negative consequences of perfectionism and to set guidelines for the therapeutic handling of perfectionism. Two literature studies were done to investigate the phenomenon and therapeutic techniques with regards to perfectionsim. A questionnaire was developed as aid to the therapist to identify negative perfectionism and associated problem areas. An empirical study was done to investigate the effectivity of the questionnaire and to compose a program and guidelines for the therapist and perfectionist. Results of the study indicated that negative perfectionism resulted in affective, cognitive, interpersonal and behavioural consequences for the client. It further showed that it is necessary to find the origin of the client's perfectionism and to give them insight in their problem to enable the therapist to succesfully apply cognitive behavioral therapy. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Voorligting)

published_or_final_version / abstract / Psychology / Master / Master of Philosophy

In this study, the relationship between the risk factors of perfectionism and depression and eating disorder symptomatology was examined. A sample of female undergraduates completed the following three measures: the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (MPS), and the Questionnaire for Eating Disorder Diagnoses (Q-EDD). Results indicated that perfectionism is significantly positively correlated with depression. Higher levels of perfectionism were also associated with the presence of eating disorder symptoms, whereas lower levels of perfectionism were associated with the absence of eating disorder symptoms. Finally, an increase in perfectionism levels was predictive of eating disorder symptoms. Directions for future research and clinical implications are discussed. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services

Perfectionism has been related to both adaptive functioning such as positive achievement striving, as well as to negative outcomes such as procrastination and depression. Numerous studies, using primarily Caucasian subjects, document a relationship between multidimensional perfectionism and depression. Few studies have examined perfectionism in samples from different cultural backgrounds. The present multidimensional conceptualization and operational definition of perfectionism remains to be tested in terms of meaningfulness and applicability to other cultural groups. Therefore the overall aim of the current study is to determine if the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (Hewitt & Flett, 1991) shows evidence of construct validity in a sample of university students from Chinese cultural backgrounds. Evidence of construct validity is obtained by investigating similarities and differences between the two cultural groups in the following: the internal structure of the measure; and the relationships between the measure and other measures (concurrent validity). Differences in mean levels of perfectionism between Chinese-Canadian and European Canadian students are also investigated. Data for 191 subjects are reported for the following measures: Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (Hewitt & Flett, 1991); Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (Frost et al, 1990); Beck Depression Inventory (Beck et al, 1979); Suinn-Lew Asian Self-Identity Acculturation Scale (Suinn et al, 1987); a Background Information Sheet. Evidence of construct validity and of the previously documented relationship between socially-prescribed perfectionism and depression was found for the Chinese-Canadian sample. The current study lends support for using the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (Hewitt & Flett, 1991) with Chinese-Canadian university students.

In this study, the relationship between personality type, perfectionism, and stress was examined in gifted adolescents attending the Indiana Academy for Mathematics, Sciences, and Humanities in Muncie, Indiana. A sample of 120 of these gifted individuals completed the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (MPS) and the Profile of Mood States (POMS). Results for participants were then matched with archival data of their Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) personality types. Results from a path analysis indicated that perfectionism is significantly positively associated with negative mood state, or stress. Results failed to indicate a significant relationship between MBTI personality type and perfectionism, or MBTI personality type and stress in these gifted adolescents. The mediator model was found to best explain the relationship among the variables in this study, indicated by the use of Akaike's Information Criterion (AIC). Clinical implications and possibilities for future research are discussed. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of North Texas, Dec., 2007. / Title from title page display. Includes bibliographical references.