Specific perfectionism components predicting daily stress, coping, and negative affect six months and three years later

Abstract

This study of community adults compared the relative predictive value of specific perfectionism components in predicting daily stress, coping, and affect in the short- and long-term. Participants completed several measures of higher-order dimensions of personal standards perfectionism (PSP) and self-critical perfectionism (SCP) at Time 1, including the Blatt, D'Afflitti, and Quinlan (1976) Depressive Experiences Questionnaire, the Frost, Marten, Lahart, and Rosenblate (1990) Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale, the Hewitt and Flett (1991) Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale, and the Slaney, Rice, Mobley, Trippi, and Ashby (2001) revised Almost Perfect Scale. Then, six months and three years later, participants completed daily questionnaires of stress, coping, and negative affect for 14 consecutive days. Correlational and multiple regression analyses showed that the DEQ self-criticism measure of SCP uniquely predicted aggregated daily event stress and negative affect at Month 6 and Year 3, whereas the FMPS concern over mistakes measure of SCP uniquely predicted negative social interactions and HMPS socially prescribed perfectionism measure of SCP uniquely predicted avoidant coping. The APS-R high standards measure of PSP uniquely predicted problem-focused coping at Month 6 and Year 3. These findings demonstrate the differential predictive value of specific perfectionism components in prospectively predicting various aspects of daily psychosocial (mal)adjustment.