The temporal relationship between two types of perfectionism— self-oriented perfectionism (SOP) and socially prescribed perfectionism (SPP)— and depressive symptoms was examined in a sample of 653 children across Grades 6 (depressive symptoms only), 7, and 8. A vulnerability model, in which perfectionism affects depressive symptoms, was compared to a scar model, in which depressive symptoms affects perfectionism, and to a reciprocal-causality model, in which both constructs concurrently affect each other across time. Cross-lagged paths analyses using structural equation modeling supported a scar model where increases in depressive symptoms lead to increases in SPP, but not SOP. The findings applied to both boys and girls. Results suggest that in childhood, depressive symptoms increase the perception that others are expecting excessively high standards from oneself and the need to satisfy this perception.

Justification of the State and Anarchist Alternatives aims to establish four key findings regarding the State and its justification according to a revised form of Aristotelian perfectionist ethics. The first finding is a proper definition of a State, and how that definition of the State compares to other definitions of the State, most notably, Max Weber’s definition. The second finding is the establishment of what parts of Aristotle’s ethics and politics are feasible and sound; this requires historical enquiry in addition to philosophical enquiry. The third finding is that this revised form of Aristotelian ethics does not justify the State. The fourth finding is that Aristotelian ethics would justify a non-state political structure (the modern polis), and objections to that structure are dealt with. The core of the thesis is that Aristotle’s ethics do not justify the state, but would justify a form of anarchism.

Aims: Friendship plays an important and central role in adolescent life. This thesis was conducted in two parts to address two broad aims relating to friendship in adolescence. The first aim was to establish what is currently known about the impact of perfectionism on adolescent interpersonal relationships. Specifically, it was of interest to determine whether perfectionism exerts a negative influence on adolescent friendships. The second aim was to explore the friendship experiences of adolescents diagnosed with an eating disorder (ED) in order to address a significant gap in the current literature. Method: A systematic review of the literature relating to perfectionism and interpersonal functioning in adolescence was carried out with a view to addressing the first aim. With regards to the second aim a grounded theory study was conducted with adolescents currently in treatment for an eating disorder. The young people were asked about their experiences of friendship and emerging concepts were followed up in a concurrent process of data collection and analysis. Results: The systematic review highlighted an absence of research on interpersonal functioning and perfectionism in adolescence, with only seven studies identified that met inclusion criteria. The results were further complicated by inconsistencies in the conceptualisation of perfectionism in the identified studies. The empirical study uncovered the efforts that adolescents go to to achieve acceptance in their friendships. It also revealed that the development of an ED is experienced as creating distance in adolescent friendships. This affects both the actual amount of time that young people spend with their friends as well as the emotional connection that they are able to feel in their friendships. Conclusions: There is a need to reconsider the conceptualisation of perfectionism in future research with a consistent acknowledgement of the interpersonal dimensions of the concept. It is important to acknowledge the significant impact that ED development can have on adolescent relationships. Young people may require support to address these difficulties and preserve their friendships to avoid long term negative consequences.

research examines associations between perfectionism and acceptance for the self and towards others, alongside their link with psychological health. Reported beliefs are compared with underlying implicit beliefs, as measured by response latencies on the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure (IRAP; Barnes-Holmes et al., 2006). Ninetynine native English-language speaking university students completed measures of selforiented and other-oriented perfectionism, unconditional self-acceptance, acceptance of others and general health; together with the IRAP computer task. Self-perfectionism scores were observed to be significantly higher than other-perfectionism scores on both explicit and implicit measures. Acceptance of others was significantly higher than selfacceptance on explicit measures; however the two were non-significantly different as recorded by the IRAP. This suggests that participants may have under-reported selfacceptance levels or over-reported their acceptance of others. Possible reasons for this are explored. In addition, all explicit measures demonstrated no significant associations with implicit findings; meaning that participants‟ responses to the assessment tasks appeared to be driven by different processes. Low levels of explicit self-acceptance were the biggest predictor of psychological distress. As such, this research provides further support for the move towards acceptance-based strategies in the treatment of clinical perfectionism.

Perfectionism can be constructed as a trans diagnostic concept that co exists and probably contributes to the onset development and maintenance of a number of Axis 1 disorders. There is also a significant relationship between perfectionism and low self- esteem. There is considerable theoretical debate in the literature concerning whether perfectionism is uni or multi-dimensional with most therapies being based upon uni dimensional conceptualisations and thus overlooking interpersonal factors. This is also reflected in the relative absence of qualitative studies that explore perfectionism from a lived experience perspective. Aims: This study aims to explore the experiences of perfectionism and low self-esteem in different life domains. It also aims to evaluate the client’s experiences and efficacy of a proposed treatment protocol that targets perfectionism from a multidimensional perspective. Method: The study is divided into three phases. A Multiple baseline design is used to evaluate the treatment protocol including cognitive and behavioural interventions, compassionate mind training and assertiveness training to target perfectionism and low self-esteem. Two clinical groups experiencing Axis 1 disorders and high perfectionism are divided amongst the different phases of this study, 13 and 8 participants respectively. Mixed methods are administered to analyse the data with greater emphasis on the qualitative ones. Measures administered include the Beck Depression & Anxiety Inventories; the Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale; the Dysfunctional Attitudes Scale; the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale by Frost and the Perfectionistic Self Presentation Scale. 8 semi-structured interviews are analysed utilising Interpretative Phenomenological Approach (IPA). Results: from the analysis of data it is evident that perfectionism is a multidimensional construct with strong interpersonal features that affect several different life domains. The proposed treatment protocol appears significantly effective in reducing perfectionism and Axis 1 disorder symptomatology. Additionally, there is a significant increase in self- esteem. Interventions that appear most helpful are behavioural experiments, assertiveness training, compassionate mind training, continuum and positive logging.

This thesis explored conceptual and pathological issues of perfectionism within the developmental period of adolescence. Quantitative and qualitative methodological approaches were utilised in the study of both general and clinical adolescent populations. Overall, the thesis aimed to provide an empirically driven account of adolescent perfectionism within a clinical context. Introductory chapters discuss adolescent development and mental health, developmental theories of perfectionism, and adolescent expressions of perfectionism. Historical and conceptual developments in perfectionism theory are critically discussed before the current conceptualisations used in adolescent research are identified and considered. The findings of a systematic review examining associations between perfectionism, mental illness, and treatment outcomes in clinical adolescent populations are reported. PRISMA guidelines and pre-specified qualitative assessment criteria were utilised. Sixteen studies were included in the review. Good quality research indicates that socially-prescribed perfectionism relates to suicide and depression. Lower quality research suggests that self-oriented perfectionism has a role in eating disorders. Studies of eating disorder, depression, and chronic fatigue syndrome treatment all indicate that perfectionism negatively impacts on outcomes for these adolescent groups but the effect is less consistent in suicidal adolescents A questionnaire-based survey of 507 Scottish adolescents (272 females, 233 males; age range: 12.24-15.50 years) was conducted to explore the relationships of perfectionism and clinical perfectionism to mental health risk in the general adolescent population. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were performed on the Child-Adolescent Perfectionism Scale (CAPS) and the Clinical Perfectionism Questionnaire (CPQ). The identified factor structures of these measures were then used to examine risk for depression, anxiety, and eating disorders in adolescents. Path analyses using structural equation modelling identified unique paths between varied facets of adolescent perfectionism and mental health disorders. Perfectionistic concerns, measured by the CPQ, was found to be transdiagnostic for all three disorders in adolescents. A focus group study of clinician perspectives of adolescent perfectionism was conducted and analysed through thematic analysis. The results highlighted similarities and differences between clinician-perspectives and published conceptual models. The study also revealed some of the issues clinicians face in their clinical work with clinical adolescent perfectionists. The study provided a reference framework to inform the development of the final study. With the aim of developing a novel conceptualisation of perfectionism in adolescent clinical populations, a grounded theory study of sixteen adolescents diagnosed with an eating disorder was conducted. Semi-structured, individual interviews were conducted and methodically analysed according to grounded theory methodology to explore the young peoples’ experiences of perfectionism. A novel framework for adolescent clinical perfectionism is proposed based on the findings of this study. The framework encapsulates a developmentally relevant construction of perfectionism as it is experienced by these young people. The thesis findings are related to associated literature regarding mental health problems in adolescents and conceptualisations of perfectionism. Implications for clinical intervention are suggested. Future directions for the field of adolescent clinical perfectionism are proposed. The unique contribution of this thesis to the wider adolescent perfectionism literature is discussed.

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<p>The main purpose of this study was to examine own and social influence on perfectionism</p><p>with individual athletes. The participants (n= 96) of this study represented ten different sports</p><p>and their ages was between 15 and 44. An interview with four of the participant was</p><p>conducted. The instruments used for this study was the Positive and Negative Perfectionism</p><p>Scale (Terry-Short et al., 1995) and for the interviews questions was based on own and social</p><p>influence. The results showed that there was a relationship between positive perfectionism</p><p>and own influence, negative perfectionism and own influence, negative perfectionism and</p><p>social influence. The results did not show any gender difference regarding perfectionism and</p><p>own/social influence. The interview gave a deeper knowledge on positive perfectionism</p><p>together with own and social influence and negative perfectionism together with own and</p><p>social influence.</p><p>Keywords: Individual athletes, Own influence, Perfectionism, Social influence</p>

A variety of risk factors for bulimia nervosa have been proposed including both environmental factors (e.g., family environment) and personal characteristics (e.g., body dissatisfaction, self-esteem, and perfectionism). The main goal of this study was to further examine the relationship between body satisfaction, self-esteem, and perfectionism in the development of bulimic symptoms. A confirmatory factor analysis on the construct of perfectionism was conducted to determine if it was best explained as a unidimensional or a multidimensional construct. Perfectionism was best explained as a construct consisting of three factors--normal perfectionism, neurotic perfectionism, and orderliness. The relationship between body satisfaction, self-esteem, and perfectionism in the development of bulimic behaviors was also examined using structural equation modeling. We did not find support for a hypothesized three-way interaction among body satisfaction, self-esteem, and neurotic perfectionism in the development of bulimic behavior. We did find support for a pair of two-way interactions predicting bulimic behaviors. Interactions between body satisfaction and self-esteem and body satisfaction and neurotic perfectionism were predicitve of bulimic symptom development.

The main purpose of this study was to examine own and social influence on perfectionism with individual athletes. The participants (n= 96) of this study represented ten different sports and their ages was between 15 and 44. An interview with four of the participant was conducted. The instruments used for this study was the Positive and Negative Perfectionism Scale (Terry-Short et al., 1995) and for the interviews questions was based on own and social influence. The results showed that there was a relationship between positive perfectionism and own influence, negative perfectionism and own influence, negative perfectionism and social influence. The results did not show any gender difference regarding perfectionism and own/social influence. The interview gave a deeper knowledge on positive perfectionism together with own and social influence and negative perfectionism together with own and social influence. Keywords: Individual athletes, Own influence, Perfectionism, Social influence