New insights into the association of maximizing with facets of perfectionism

Abstract

This research expands the extant literature on the nomological network of maximizing by examining its association with two aspects of perfectionism: rigid perfectionism and self-critical perfectionism. Whereas both aspects of perfectionism entail maladaptive elements, self-critical perfectionism is considered to be more maladaptive than rigid perfectionism. Prior research has found that maximizing is associated with both adaptive and maladaptive aspects of perfectionism, but more strongly so with maladaptive. The current research revisits this association using a more proper measure of the maximizing construct and a multidimensional measure of perfectionism. Results of two studies (lab and online) with diverse populations (student and community sample) show that maximizing is more strongly associated with rigid perfectionism than with self-critical perfectionism. These findings provide novel insights into the relationship between maximizing and perfectionism and add to the literature on the correlates and the nature of maximizing.