title: The multidimensional structure of perfectionism in clinically distressed and college student samples.
abstract: Confirmatory factor analysis was used to evaluate 2 multidimensional measures of perfectionism (R. O. Frost, P. Marten, C. Lahart, & R. Rosenblate, 1990; P. L. Hewitt & G. L. Flett, 1991). On a first-order level, support was found for Hewitt and Flett's (1991) original 3-factor conceptualization of perfectionism, although only for an empirically derived 15-item subset. Support was also obtained for 5 of the 6 dimensions proposed by R. O. Frost et al. (1990), but the model only displayed good fit when a refined scale containing 22 of the original 35 items was used. A second-order analysis found evidence for 2 higher-order factors of adaptive and maladaptive perfectionism. Perfectionism dimensions correlated in expected directions with personality domains, symptom distress, and academic achievement. The brief measures of perfectionism also retained the construct-related validity displayed by the full-item versions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. coxbj@cc.umanitoba.ca
authors.forename: Brian J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Cox
authors.forename: Murray W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Enns
authors.forename: Ian P
authors.initials: IP
authors.lastname: Clara
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003674:Defense Mechanisms; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D009042:Motivation; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011594:Psychometrics; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology