Self-critical perfectionism, coping, hassles, and current distress: A structural equation modeling approach.

Abstract

University students (131 women, 102 men) completed measures of perfectionism, self-criticism, autonomy, coping (emotion-oriented, task-oriented, and avoidance-oriented), hassles (academic, social, and general), and distress (current depression, anger, and psychosomatic distress). Zeroth-order correlations distinguished the self-critical perfectionism variables (i.e., socially prescribed perfectionism, self-criticism, and the solitude subscale of autonomy) from self-oriented perfectionism. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to assess the measurement model and showed that the self-critical perfectionism variables load strongly on one factor. Structural equation modeling results indicated that self-critical perfectionists' high levels of distress and daily hassles might be fully explained by the mediating role of maladaptive coping. The results support a cognitive theory of psychological stress and coping and illustrate how coping strategies associated with self-critical perfectionism can have important consequences for the experience of both distress and hassles.