Are attachment styles differentially related to interpersonal perfectionism and binge eating symptoms?

Abstract

In the current study we aimed to examine the association between attachment styles towards father and mother, perfectionistic self-promotion (PSP), socially prescribed perfectionism (SPP), and binge eating symptoms in a sample of 328 late adolescents (mean age 17.1 years). It was examined whether anxiously and avoidantly attached adolescents would differentially cope with their insecure feelings. It was hypothesized that anxiously attached adolescents would, through hyperactivating strategies, be hypersensitive to the expectations of others. Avoidantly attached adolescents were hypothesized to present a perfect image of the self, because of their deactivating emotion regulation. Furthermore, the mediating role of perfectionism in the relation between attachment representations and binge eating symptoms was examined. Results showed that anxious attachment was significantly positively associated with PSP, SPP, and binge eating. Avoidant attachment towards mother was only positively associated with SPP, whereas avoidant attachment towards father was positively associated with PSP and binge eating. PSP fully mediated the relation between avoidant attachment towards father and binge eating. Interestingly, the current findings showed the importance of examining attachment representations towards both parents.

Preoccupied attachment, need to belong, shame, and interpersonal perfectionism: An investigation of the Perfectionism Social Disconnection Model

“…Chen and colleagues (2012) found that the significant association between fearful attachment and social disconnection was partially mediated by nondisclosure of imperfections in adolescents. Furthermore, Boone (2013) demonstrated that anxious attachment as assessed by the Experiences in Close Relationships Scale (Fraley, Waller, & Brennan, 2000) was positively associated with socially prescribed perfectionism, perfectionistic selfpresentation, and binge eating behavior among adolescents, and perfectionistic self-promotion fully mediated the association between avoidant attachment and binge eating. Together, these findings indicate a strong relationship between attachment styles and perfectionistic self-presentation, at least among adolescents, and that perfectionism may result in the opposite of what it is intended to -alienation, distress, and a thwarted sense of belonging.…”

Impacto de la autopresentación perfeccionista en la salud infantil y adolescente: Una revisión sistemática

“…Por ejemplo, Bardone-Cone, Sturm, Lawson, Robinson y Smith (2010) seleccionan mujeres de 16 años en adelante, tomando sólo un sector del rango establecido como criterio, pero debido a la pertinencia del análisis en la adolescencia fue incluido en este estudio de revisión. Esto mismo ocurrió con los estudios de Boone (2013), Chen et al (2012), Castro et al (2014), Ferreira, Trindade, y Ornelas (2015, Hewitt et al (2011), Roxborough et al (2012), y Vuyk (2015. EEUU/ Inglés Transversal, estudio caso-control.…”

“…En los artículos científicos revisados, las tres facetas de la autopresentación perfeccionista obtuvieron correlaciones diferenciales con los distintos tipos de perfeccionismo (Boone, 2013;Flett Coulter y Hewitt, 2012;Hewitt et al, 2011;Roxborough et al, 2012;Stoeber y Roche, 2014).…”

“…Esta aseveración es válida tanto para la anorexia, la bulimia y los atracones (Boone, 2013;Castro et al, 2004).…”

“…La autopresentación perfeccionista define la expresión social del perfeccionismo (Ferreira, et al, 2015), actuando como un mecanismo compensatorio ante sentimientos de inferioridad, inadecuación o miedo al rechazo que pueden surgir a partir de un estilo de apego inseguro (Boone, 2013;Hewitt et. al., 2003).…”