Is there a perfectionist in each of us? An experimental study on perfectionism and eating disorder symptoms

Abstract

Previous studies have shown consistent associations between perfectionism and eating disorder (ED) symptoms. However, to date, only one study (Shafran et al., 2006) used an experimental design to examine in a non-clinical sample the causal relationship between perfectionism and ED symptoms. The current experimental study aimed to build on that study by examining the role of trait perfectionism in the effects of an experimental induction of perfectionism and by adopting a multidimensional approach to perfectionism. University students (N=100; Mage=20.6years; SD=2.24) were randomly assigned to one of three experimental conditions, that is, a high Personal Standards condition, a condition combining Personal Standards perfectionism and Evaluative Concerns perfectionism, and a non-perfectionist condition. Compared to the non-perfectionist condition, participants in the two perfectionist conditions reported higher levels of state perfectionism during the next 24h and this effect occurred irrespective of trait perfectionism levels. Further, participants in the perfectionist conditions, compared to those in the non-perfectionist condition, reported significantly higher levels of restraint and binging during the 24h after manipulation. Together, the results suggest that perfectionism can be induced in people irrespective of their levels of trait perfectionism and that perfectionism represents a causal risk factor for ED pathology.