A person-centered perspective on multidimensional perfectionism in Canadian and Chinese university students: A multigroup latent profile analysis

Abstract

This study investigated the generalizability of the tripartite model of perfectionism across Canadian and Chinese university students. Using latent profile analysis, and indicators of perfectionistic strivings, perfectionistic concerns, and neuroticism, a three-profile solution was derived in both groups: Adaptive Perfectionists, Maladaptive Perfectionists and NonPerfectionists. Furthermore, multigroup latent profile analysis supported the construct equivalence of the three-profile solution across groups. Results further suggested a greater proportion of Chinese students could be classified as Adaptive Perfectionists.Keywords: perfectionism; cross-cultural; multi-group mixture modeling Perfectionism is a dispositional tendency to strive for flawlessness, set excessively high standards, and experience disappointment with anything falling short of perfection (Hewitt & Flett, 1991;Frost, Marten, Lahart, & Rosenblate, 1990). A widely used model proposes perfectionism is best conceptualized as a multidimensional personality trait (see Hewitt, Flett, The Present StudyWe hypothesized a three-profile solution could be derived with three observed indicators measuring perfectionistic strivings, perfectionistic concerns, and neuroticism (Rice et al., 2013; 5 Richardson et al., 2014) in Canadian and Chinese university students. Neuroticism was included as an indicator based on research suggesting neuroticism underlies and predisposes perfectionism (Dunkley, Blankstein, & Berg, 2012; Rice et al., 2013;Sherry & Hall, 2009;Smith et al., 2014).In addition, we hypothesized that the tripartite model would provide the most meaningful description of perfectionism for both the Canadian and Chinese groups and would correspond to profiles identified in past research of Adaptive Perfectionists, Maladaptive Perfectionists, and Non-Perfectionists (Rice et al., 2013; Richardson et al., 2014). These profiles were expected to be structurally equivalent across groups.Anticipating a three-profile solution and support for construct equivalence, we further expected that the construct validity of the profiles would be supported via theoretically coherent patterns of associations with depression, anxiety, stress, negative affect, positive affect and life satisfaction. That is, we expected that if a three-profile solution with construct equivalence was extracted, Maladaptive Perfectionists would report higher depression, anxiety, stress and negative affect and lower positive affect and life satisfaction relative to Adaptive Perfectionists and, in turn, the group with the lowest perfectionistic strivings, perfectionistic concerns, and neuroticism (Non-Perfectionists). Finally, past research suggests that Canadians relative to Chinese university students report equivalent perfectionistic concerns but significantly greater perfectionistic strivings (see Smith, Saklofske, Yan, & Sherry, 2015) and further, that regardless of language (English or Mandarin) or country (Canada or China), perfectionistic strivings exacerbates the effect of pe...

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