Integrating dispositional perfectionism and within-person variations of perfectionism across life domains into a multilevel extension of the 2 × 2 model of perfectionism

Abstract

This study proposed an extension of the 2×2 model of perfectionism to assess the effect of four subtypes of perfectionism (i.e., pure self-oriented, mixed, pure socially prescribed, non-perfectionism) at the between-person and within-person levels of analysis. Sample comprised 338 students (80% female) aged between 16 and 48years old (M=19.03, SD=3.46). Results of multilevel confirmatory factor analysis supported the factor structure of the measure across both levels of analysis, whereas multilevel modeling supported all four hypotheses of the 2×2 model across both levels of analysis for positively-laden variables (i.e., vitality, goal progress, positive affect), while yielding unexpected findings for negative affect and stress. These findings provide firsthand support for researchers interested in adopting a complementary analysis of dispositional perfectionism, while better informing researchers on the generalizability of the consequences associated with perfectionism in various domains.