Multidimensional Perfectionism and Obsessive-Compulsive Behaviors

This study examined the relationship between adaptive and maladaptive perfectionism and obsessive-compulsive behaviors. One hundred and forty-four undergraduate psychology students completed a measure of multidimensional perfectionism and two measures of obsessive-compulsive behaviors. The authors found that maladaptive perfectionists engaged in more doubting and slowness behaviors than did adaptive perfectionists. Adaptive perfectionists had significantly lower scores on the Slowness subscale than either maladaptire perfectionists or nonperfectionists. Implications for college counselors are discussed. ********** Perfectionism has been identified as a common concern among college students who seek counseling services (e.g., Halgin & Leahy, 1989). Traditional views of perfectionism have operationalized the construct as the compulsive and unremitting striving toward impossible goals (Burns, 1980). Perfectionism has also been defined as the tendency to set excessively high personal standards and make overly critical self-evaluations (Frost & Marten, 1990). According to the Research Consortium of Counseling and Psychological Services to Higher Education (1995), 26% of women and 21% of men who sought clinical services at college counseling centers reported experiencing perfectionism that was "quite distressing or extremely distressing." This prevalence is consistent with the traditional conceptualization of perfectionism as a maladaptive construct linked to numerous psychological, interpersonal, and achievement-oriented difficulties. A significant body of empirical work has supported this connection between perfectionism and a host of difficulties. For example, several studies have found perfectionism to be a significant predictor of poor adjustment and elevated levels of psychological distress in college student populations (e.g., Rice, Ashby, & Slaney, 1998). Perfectionism has been linked to a variety of negative psychological outcomes with particular attention given to obsessive-compulsive disorder (Bhar & Kyrios, 1999). Researchers and theorists (e.g., Mallinger, 1984) have consistently highlighted the role of perfectionism in obsessive thinking and compulsive behaviors as well as obsessive-compulsive disorder. Many early theorists and researchers viewed the development of perfectionistic thinking as a way of avoiding a negative emotional experience or outcome. Straus (1948) postulated that perfectionistic thinking, or the need to do things perfectly, may develop as a way of coping with unexpected or challenging life events. In an attempt to deal with uncertainties and avoid unpleasant consequences, the individual develops a framework by which he or she would cognitively and behaviorally seek to do all things perfectly. This tendency contributes to the creation of certain types of obsessions (e.g., doubts about whether a task was completed correctly) and compulsive activities (e.g., repeatedly checking a completed project) when approaching and completing most tasks. Similarly, McFall and Wollersheim (1979) viewed obsessive and compulsive behaviors as a manifestation of core perfectionistic beliefs in attempts to mediate a perceived threat in the environment. Guidano and Liotti (1983) also included perfectionistic thinking in their three central assumptions underlying obsessive-compulsive disorder: perfectionism, need for certainty, and belief in perfect solutions. Consistent with these theoretical connections between perfectionism and obsessive-compulsive behaviors, numerous empirical investigations have linked perfectionism to obsessive-compulsive disorder. For instance, several studies (e.g., Rasmussen & Eisen, 1989) have reported elevated levels of perfectionism among patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Frost, Marten, Lahart, and Rosenblate (1990) found significant correlations between several scales measuring dimensions of perfectionism and scores on several measures of obsessive-compulsive behavior. …