title: Exploring the Relationship Between Social Anxiety and Bulimic Symptoms: Mediational Effects of Perfectionism Among Females.
abstract: Previous findings indicate that social anxiety and bulimia co-occur at high rates; one mechanism that has been proposed to link these symptom clusters is perfectionism. We tested meditational models among 167 female undergraduates in which maladaptive evaluative perfectionism concerns (MEPC; i.e., critical self-evaluative perfectionism) mediated the relationship between social anxiety and bulimic symptoms. Results from a first model indicated that MEPC mediated the relationship betweenfear of public scrutinyand bulimia symptoms. This indirect effect was significant above and beyond the indirect effects of maladaptive body-image cognitions and perfectionism specific to pure personal standards. A second model was tested with MEPC mediating the relationship betweensocial interaction anxietyand bulimia symptoms. Similar results were obtained; however, in this model, a significant direct effect remained after partialing out the indirect effect of the mediators. Theoretical implications are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Ohio University, 200 Porter Hall, Athens, OH 45701, USA.
authors.forename: Andrew R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Menatti
authors.affiliation: Ohio University, 200 Porter Hall, Athens, OH 45701, USA.
authors.forename: Justin W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Weeks
authors.affiliation: Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA.
authors.forename: Cheri A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Levinson
authors.affiliation: Ohio University, 200 Porter Hall, Athens, OH 45701, USA.
authors.forename: Maggie M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: McGowan
keywords: Anxiety disorders; Bulimia; Eating disorders; Perfectionism; Social anxiety