Perfectionism, Body Dissatisfaction, and Bulimic Symptoms: The Intervening Role of Perceived Pressure to be Thin and Thin Ideal Internalization

Abstract

Mounting evidence suggests that perfectionism contributes to the development and maintenance of eating disorder (ED) symptoms. Research adopting a multidimensional conceptualization of perfectionism has shown evaluative concerns (EC) perfectionism to be more strongly associated with ED pathology compared to personal standards (PS) perfectionism. However, less research has addressed the underlying mechanisms accounting for these relations. Based on the sociocultural theory, the aim of this study was to examine perceived pressure to be thin and thin ideal internalization as intervening variables through which PS and EC perfectionism could relate to body dissatisfaction and bulimic symptoms. A total of 559 adolescents (59% female; mean age = 13.9 years) participated in a three-wave longitudinal study. Structural equation modeling (SEM) analyses showed that EC perfectionism and PS perfectionism were related differentially to the intervening variables, with EC perfectionism being primarily related to perceived pressure to be thin and with PS perfectionism being primarily related to thin ideal internalization. Further, whereas EC perfectionism was related to increases in bulimic symptoms both directly and indirectly, PS perfectionism was only indirectly related to body dissatisfaction and bulimic symptoms through the sociocultural variables.