Perfectionism dimensions, perfectionistic attitudes, dependent attitudes, and depression in psychiatric patients and university students.

Abstract

Beck, 2002) of dysfunctional attitudes (i.e., perfectionistic attitudes [PA] and dependent attitudes [DA]) in predicting depression in 70 psychiatric patients and 280 university students. Socially prescribed perfectionism uniquely predicted both PA and DA. Dysfunctional attitudes failed to consistently predict additional variance in depression beyond perfectionism dimensions (and vice versa). Evidence for Hewitt and Flett's specific vulnerability hypothesis and Beck's specific cognitive vulnerability hypothesis was equivocal. Beck's conceptualization of perfectionism as a unitary cognitive style obscures important information by overlooking the distinction between the self-related and socially based features of perfectionism. Hewitt and Flett's conceptualization of perfectionism as 3 distinct personality traits allows for precise conclusions by recognizing the differential contribution of the self-related and socially based features of perfectionism.

Dysphoria and Mobilization of Mental Effort: Effects on Cardiovascular Reactivity

“…As outlined above, dysphoria has been shown to have an effect on subjective evaluations and ratings (e.g., Scott & Ingram, 1998). Alternatively, dysphoria might have influenced people's performance standards on this unfixed difficulty task, which led to stronger effort mobilization (see e.g., Tillema et al, 2001;Sherry, Hewitt, Flett, & Harvey, 2003, for research on perfectionistic standards in depression). Even if we are confidentbased on prior research on experimentally manipulated mood (e.g., Gendolla & Krüsken, 2002a,b)-that dysphoria affected the subjective difficulty of the task, future research should address these possible mediations between depressed mood and effort mobilization.…”

Positive Conceptions of Perfectionism: Approaches, Evidence, Challenges

“…Moreover, O'Connor and O'Connor (2003) found self-oriented perfectionism to interact with self-reported coping styles: Individuals with high levels of self-oriented perfectionism and low levels of adaptive coping showed increases in hopelessness, suggesting that facets associated with positive perfectionism may have negative longitudinal effects under unfavorable conditions (see also Dunkley et al, 2000). However, self-oriented perfectionism alone can not be considered a good proxy for positive perfectionistic strivings if overlap with socially prescribed perfectionism or selfcriticism is not controlled for (Dunkley et al, 2006;Hewitt et al, 2003;Shafran et al, 2002;Sherry, Hewitt, Flett, & Harvey, 2003). Consequently, more longitudinal studies looking at the whole dimension of perfectionistic strivings are needed as are longitudinal studies comparing healthy and unhealthy perfectionists.…”

Perfection and Her Sisters: Exploring the Voices of Southland University's Female Undergraduates

“…While the aforementioned research suggests the existence of positive behavioral outcomes and perfectionism, the bulk of the available literature connects perfectionism and maladaptive behaviors (Alden, et al, 1994;Ashby & Rice, 2002;Bieling, et al, 2004;Blankstein, et al, 1993;Blatt, 1995;Castro et al, 2004;Chang, 1998;Chang & Rand, 2000;Chang, et al, 2004;Cockell, et al, 2002;Flett, Hewitt, Blankstein, & Gray, 1998;Flett, Hewitt, Blankstein, & O'Brien, 1991;Hewitt, Flett, & Ediger, 1996;Hewitt & Flett, 1991a;Hewitt & Genest, 1990;Sherry, et al, 2003). The likelihood of perfectionists to set high standards and work to obtain them is not behavior by itself that is identified as pathological (Frost, et al, 1990).…”

“…Socially prescribed perfectionists are primarily motivated by the hope of recognition from others, while self-oriented perfectionists are much more likely to be motivated by intrinsic rewards linked to their academic performance. As a result, socially-prescribed perfectionism may cause individuals to experience feelings of hopelessness and helplessness as their attempts at achieving perfectionism cause their standards to be further elevated and out of reach (Cox, et al, 2002;Sherry, et al, 2003).…”

“…In the past decade, several studies have focused on the role of perfectionism in the psychopathology of college student populations (Chang, 1998;Chang & Rand, 2000;Chang, Banks, & Watkins, 2004;Flett, Hewitt, Blankstein, & Gray, 1998;Hewitt & Genest, 1990;Sherry, Hewitt, Flett, & Harvey, 2003). The collegiate student population is a logical context for perfectionism research, given the ever-expanding body of literature chronicling the rise of distressed and psychologically impaired postsecondary students (Astin, 1993;Chickering & Reisser, 1993;Vrendberg, Flett, & Krames, 1993;Chang, 1998).…”