Examining the effectiveness of cognitive bias modification for perfectionism in exploration of the mediating and moderating effects of body dissatisfaction and self-efficacy

Abstract

The relationship between perfectionism, body dissatisfaction, and self-efficacy is unclear. This study attempted to distinguish the relationship between different dimensions of perfectionism and to examine how they relate to body dissatisfaction and self-efficacy. Experiment 1 examined the effectiveness of two types of Cognitive Bias Modification for Interpretation (CBM-I) techniques in the induction of perfectionism. Experiment 2 explored the mediation and moderation effects of perfectionism facets, body dissatisfaction, and self-efficacy in the induction of perfectionism. Participants were randomly assigned to one of the four CBM-I conditions and completed self-report measures of trait and state perfectionism, body dissatisfaction, self-efficacy, as well as a behavioural task that assessed perfectionistic behaviours before and after the CBM-I induction. The results indicated no significant differences in perfectionism between the experimental groups and the control groups following the perfectionism induction. Using baseline participant characteristics, body dissatisfaction was found to mediate socially-prescribed perfectionism and self-efficacy. Self-oriented perfectionism moderated the association between body dissatisfaction and self-efficacy. State perfectionism may not be influenced by a single session (30 trials) of CBM-I training. Treatment targeting body dissatisfaction may enhance self-efficacy in socially-prescribed perfectionists. Further, interventions that decrease self-oriented perfectionism may reduce body dissatisfaction while increasing self-efficacy.

Factorial validity, reliability, and measurement invariance of the Negative Physical Self Scale in a sample of men residing in North America.

“…Higher scores indicate greater dissatisfaction with body shape. The BSQ scores have good test–retest reliability (α = .88; Rosen et al, 1996) and internal consistency (α = .97; Wang et al, 2021). In the present study, the internal consistency of the BSQ test scores was α = .97.…”